


The Troubleshooter

by Dextrousleftie



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Computer Programming, Gay Sex, M/M, Oral Sex, Rimming, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-27
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-05-16 17:54:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 42,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5835235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dextrousleftie/pseuds/Dextrousleftie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is set in an alternate universe, where Severus Snape is a computer programmer for Hogwarts, Inc. and Sirius Black is a hot shot troubleshooter called in by his company to find out who has been embezzling from it. It's hate at first sight for Snape, but Sirius is determined to win him over. Will he succeed? read on to find out...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Damn it!” Severus Snape cursed, glaring at his screen. This string of code was all fucked up. That’s what they got for letting Baxter near a computer – the man was a ham-fisted moron. It would take him all morning to fix this, putting him behind on his own current project. He couldn't understand why they didn’t just fire Baxter. The other programmers spent a great deal of their time correcting his mistakes, neglecting their own work. He just didn’t get it. 

 

He set his fingers on his keyboard, muttering to himself as he started to type. But before he could get very far, a voice spoke loudly above his head, making him jump. “Hey, Sev!” it called. “Did you hear the latest?” He gritted his teeth as he slowly pushed his chair away from his desk and turned in it to look up at the man hanging on the doorframe of his cubicle. He loathed Lucius Malfoy, who was a loud-mouthed prick who seemed to think that they were friends for some reason. Severus only allowed his few friends to call him 'Sev' but he’d never been able to stop Malfoy from doing so even though the man was most definitely NOT a friend. 

 

His dark eyes narrowed in his rather sallow face as he said with quasi-politeness: “No, Lucius, I had not heard the latest.” His tone of voice implied that he didn’t WANT to hear it, either, but the other man was oblivious.

 

“The company’s calling in a troubleshooter!” Lucius replied, eager to spread the latest gossip. “And guess who it is?” 

 

Snape felt his fingers tightening on the arms of his chair. “I’ve no idea,” he ground out, wishing that he could magically make the other man disappear for good. But he was no wizard, unless you counted his skill with a computer.

 

Lucius lowered his voice to an intimate near whisper. “It’s none other than…” he paused for dramatic effect. “Sirius Black!” 

 

Snape blinked. He’d heard of Black before, of course; everyone who’d ever worked with a computer had. The man was a maverick, a genius programmer who could make a computer do anything he wanted. Sirius Black disdained slaving away at any one company, choosing instead to become an independent consultant. He solved people’s problems for them, so they willingly paid his high fees and didn’t quibble about the way he chose to dress and act. “Why is Hogwarts, Inc. bringing in someone like Black?” he asked after a moment of digesting this news.

 

Lucius shrugged. “I’ve no idea. It must be something big, though, if they’re calling him in. He’s supposed to arrive sometime today, in fact.”

 

Severus leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, scowling. “Who cares?” he said in disgust. “What are we supposed to do, get down on our knees and kiss the great Sirius Black’s feet? Well, count me right out,” he swiveled his chair back to his screen, still scowling.

 

Malfoy laughed, that annoying, high-pitched snigger that always made Snape want to bash his face in. “Sounds like somebody’s jealous,” he said. “Mad because he’s better than you, Sev?”

 

Snape’s fingers tightened on the keyboard, his mouth compressing. Lucius finally went away, still giggling, for which he was grateful. If the other programmer had hung around his cubicle for even one more minute, he would have done something drastic. As he went back to work, Snape tried not to let Lucius’s insinuation get to him. Sure, he was proud of the fact that he was the best programmer that Hogwarts, Inc. had. But that didn’t mean that he was feeling jealous of the flamboyant Sirius Black. The man would come and go, a mere blip on the radar, and everyone would quickly forget him. Right. That was the ticket. He concentrated once more on his work, and the rest of the world slipped away for him.

 

 

At lunch, the whole company was agog over the arrival of the man who’d been nicknamed ‘The Black Dog’. Everyone knew that Sirius was the name of the Dog Star, and the man definitely tended to sink his teeth into a matter like the most persistent bulldog and hang on until he solved whatever problem he’d been hired to troubleshoot. 

 

Snape sat by himself, eating his lunch and ignoring the gossip going on on all sides of him in the break room. To make his day even worse, he heard a familiar sweet voice speaking somewhere nearby. He couldn’t help but look up, as a stunning redhead walked into the breakroom, chatting happily with a friend. His stomach twisted as the beautiful Lily Potter went by, never once looking his way. 

 

Lily Potter. Newlywed wife of James Potter, one of the up-and-coming young executives of Hogwarts. The woman he’d yearned after for years now, watching her from afar. She worked in the company’s customer service department, and was very good at her job. Lily was everything that Snape wanted in a woman – smart, caring, good with people in a way that he could never be. Not to mention stunningly beautiful. But he could never bring himself to ask her out, for what would a woman like that see in a computer nerd like him? He wasn’t handsome, or charming, or socially ept; he had nothing to offer her. So he’d kept his crush to himself, and could only watch helplessly as she was swept away by the oh-so-charming, handsome, debonair Potter, the man who was everything he wasn’t. He’d even gone to the wedding, for his friend Lily had sent him an invitation. He’d sat in a pew on the bride’s side, watching as a red-headed angel in white pledged herself to the tall, dark-haired man beside her, and felt as though his heart were cracking in two.

 

He looked away from her now, unable to bear seeing that lovely face alight with excitement as she told her friend all about her honeymoon in the Bahamas. Moodily he took a bite of his sandwich, feeling a headache beginning to pound at his temples. This was going to be a long day.

 

 

Later that afternoon, Snape heard an excited stirring in among the cubicles. Lucius appeared briefly at his doorway to hiss: “He’s here!” before he disappeared in the direction of the lobby and the big main doors. 

 

Severus hesitated a moment – he really didn’t care about seeing this Sirius Black. But his curiosity was eating at him, so he finally pushed his chair back and stood up. He walked slowly toward the lobby of the building, being passed by a stream of excited, curious fellow employees all on their way to gawk at the famed Sirius Black. Snape ignored their chatter as he arrived in the lobby, finding himself at the back of a fairly large crowd. Fortunately he was fairly tall, so he could see over the heads of many of the people in front of him. He stared at the main doors just as everyone else was doing. After a tense few minutes, the doors slid open to admit a tall figure, who strolled into the lobby as though he owned the place.

 

There was a murmur of surprise and shock as the employees caught a glimpse of the famed Sirius Black. Even Snape found himself staring…nay, almost gaping…at the man, disbelief a prominent emotion within him. THIS was a computer programmer! Sirius Black didn’t look like a computer nerd. Nor did he look like one of the company suits, either. Instead, he, most resembled…well, a biker. He was dressed in black motorcycle leathers, and a belt with steel studs encircled his waist. Heavy, square-toed boots thunked on the marble floor of the lobby as Black walked. He was pulling off a pair of dark leather gloves nonchalantly, and there was a necklace of steel and amber beads around his neck. And indeed he was carrying a motorcycle helmet under one arm, with the ease of a man who has done so many times before.

 

Snape finally arrived at Black’s face, having taken in the rest of the startling picture. Strongly handsome features with a slightly arrogant cast to them, the skin bronzed and the bold nose broken in at least one place. Dark hair was pulled back into a tail behind his head. A silver ring shone in his left ear. Snape could hear many of the women(and a few of the men, too) in the crowd making appreciative noises and/or sighs. His lips lifted in a silent snarl. This was just the kind of flashy, egotistical bastard that he loathed.

 

He would have left, pushing his way back through the crowd and going back to his cubicle, but he’d been hemmed in from behind by the even later crowd of arrivals. So he was forced to stay where he was, as Sirius Black walked over to the reception desk. The famed troubleshooter paid no attention to the crowd staring at him; he was obviously used to this kind of reception. Snape could quite clearly hear his deep rumble of a voice as he said to the starstruck girl behind the desk: “I’m Sirius Black. I’m here to see your Vice President.”

 

The pretty blonde girl could barely speak coherently. "V-Very good, Sir. Mz. McGonagall is expecting you,” she pointed to the elevators that led up to the offices of the higher echelons. “The fifteenth floor, Mr. Black.”

 

“Thanks,” he flashed her a smile that made her look like she was going to swoon dead away behind her desk, then turned and made for the elevator with a decisive stride. He still didn’t pay much attention to the crowds staring at him. He raked them briefly with his grey gaze, and was about to go on when his eyes clashed with Snape’s. 

 

Sirius saw a pair of half-shuttered eyes glaring at him, contempt and dislike burning in their depths. This was an interesting difference from the awe and amazement he most often encountered, along with the looks of lust and appreciation. He very briefly memorized the rather bony features, set under a mop of lank, greasy dark hair, for later reference. Then he went on, punching the button on the elevator decisively. He didn’t look back as he strode into the elevator, a king among peons. 

 

 

Snape blinked. For a brief moment he’d met Black’s charismatic gaze. Something had flashed in those eyes, he wasn’t sure what. But now he shook himself out of whatever trance he’d fallen into, and departed the lobby with the rest of the talking crowd. He ignored their chatter once more, glad to get back to his cubicle and forget about the man who’d just arrived on the lobby. Sirius Black wasn’t his problem anyway. The man would most likely stay away from the lower echelons, so he wouldn’t have to see the other programmer again while he was here. That was just fine. What an egotistical idiot! Dressing in that affected way, as though he were a big bad biker straight out of a European thriller from a 60s movie or something. He probably didn’t even have a motorcycle; he probably drove a Peugeot or something.

 

He flopped down in his chair and took a deep breath. He’d definitely be happy to get back to work. But before he could set his fingers on the keys, he heard the despised Lucius’s voice over his head once again. “Wow! So that’s Sirius Black!” the man with the pale blonde hair mused as he draped himself once more in the doorway of Snape’s cubicle. 

 

“Yes, it would appear so,” Snape replied through gritted teeth.

 

But as usual, the other man ignored his poorly-disguised dislike. “Mmm. Wish I could pull off a look like that,” Malfoy commented, shaking his head. “But you have to be the big, dark, brooding type to do so. I’m afraid I don’t qualify.”

 

Snape had to silently agree with that. Lucius Malfoy was tall, but he was also thin and pale, with a pointed face and a mop of nearly white hair. He definitely couldn’t pull off the big, bad biker look like Black had. “Well, and there’s the fact that I can’t ride a motorcycle,” Lucius continued.

 

“I don’t think that has anything to do with it,” Snape replied indifferently.

 

His colleague looked surprised. “What do you mean, Sev?” 

 

Snape’s lip curled. “Someone like that probably doesn’t ride a motorcycle,” he said contemptuously. 

 

“Actually, he does,” another voice said. Both men turned to see the head of accounting, Remus Lupin, approaching Snape’s cubicle. As usual the man’s suit looked like it had come from the bottom of the laundry basket, and his brown hair was mussed. Snape would have wondered how he kept his job, except for the fact that he was very smart and very good at his job. So his appearance didn’t really matter.

 

“How do you know that?” Malfoy asked Lupin curiously.

 

A small smile flitted across the slim man’s mouth. “Because Sirius happens to be a friend of mine,” he said simply. “We went to the same boarding school,” he added as their mouths fell open. “Along with James Potter and Peter Pettigrew. We kept in touch, and when Mr. Dumbledore was looking for someone to fix some kind of problem, he asked me to persuade Sirius to take the job. He doesn’t take just any job,” he explained, waving the clipboard full of papers he was carrying in one hand around carelessly. “Only the ones he finds interesting. Sirius can afford to pick and choose, so if something bores him he won’t bother with it no matter what salary is offered.” 

 

Snape kept his tongue between his teeth, not pointing out to Lupin that his friend sounded like a right git. Lucius was saying: “So he really does ride a motorcycle?”

 

Lupin nodded. “That’s right. It’s a custom-made machine, very sweet. His one true love, really.” 

 

He sounded wryly affectionate. Severus looked away so that he wouldn’t be tempted to point out just how ridiculous it was for a person to only love an inanimate object. He wished desperately that they’d both just go away and leave him to his work. He was already tired of hearing about, and talking about, this Sirius Black person. But much to his dismay, some other people had heard the discussion and came crowding around his cubicle to ask Lupin eager questions about his mysterious friend. The women, in particular, wanted to know if he were single. The head of accounting said that he was, but when there were happy cries and hopeful looks all around, he gently explained that none of the ladies gathered there stood a chance. At their questioning looks, he spread his hands: “I’m afraid that Sirius doesn’t like women. He’s gay,” he said.

 

Shocked silence rippled out away from Snape’s cubicle. Even the programmer was shocked, for it was hard to associate that tall, powerful, masculine figure with a poof. But Lupin shrugged when several people protested. “It’s true, I’m afraid,” he said mildly. “He just broke up with his last boyfriend about eight months ago, in fact. Sorry, ladies.” 

 

Fortunately for Snape, the disappointed women departed after that, and so did everybody else eventually. He turned back to his work at last with a sigh of relief. Hopefully, now that the first furor was over, he wouldn’t have to hear any more about Sirius Black from now on.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius learns what he's being hired for by Hogwarts, Inc. ,and makes the descent into Programmerland...

The elevator let Sirius Black out on the fifteenth floor, a place of plush carpets and hardwood. His motorcycle boots didn’t make any sound on the deep-green carpet as he approached the desk sitting in the middle of a tiny reception area. A semi-circle of doors was behind it, and the dragon guarding the caves of gold was a thin, rigid-faced woman in a tweed suit. She was typing(both swiftly and accurately, Sirius presumed) at her computer as he approached, but looked up at him through a pair of dark-framed glasses as he stopped in front of her desk. Her pale grey eyes took in his leather, jeans, long hair and the earring, and her face stiffened further (if that were possible) into a look of disapproval mingled with outrage. 

 

Sirius had to fight not to grin as he said mock-solemnly to her: “My name is Sirius Black. I have an appointment to see Mz. McGonagall.”

 

The secretary’s mouth thinned, but she said coolly: “Yes, of course, Mr. Black. She’s expecting you,” under the politeness was a thread of incredulity, which made his struggles not to laugh aloud even harder. She rose to her feet and led the way to one of the doors, knocking at it. 

 

“Come in,” a voice called, and the secretary opened the door. 

 

“A Mr. Sirius Black here to see you, Mz. McGonagall,” she said. 

 

“Ahh, yes. Show him in, Margaret.” The secretary stepped back so that Sirius could walk into the large office within. Definitely upscale, he thought admiringly. If that wasn’t a Persian carpet on the floor, he’d eat his helmet. And the room was furnished with antiques, including a set of Louis the XVI gold-and-white brocade couches set in a little cluster. The coffee table at the center of this grouping held a silver tea set that looked like something the queen herself would use. A desk was set facing away from a bank of windows with a magnificent view of the city overlooking the Thames, so that the woman sitting in the chair behind the desk needed only to swivel around to admire it. 

 

Minerva McGonagall, vice president of Hogwarts, Inc., was a strong-faced woman in her late fifties. The tailored grey suit she wore had probably cost upwards of a thousand pounds or more, and her silvery hair had been pulled back into a knot at the back of her head. Her long fingers were free of wedding rings, although she wore a discreet sapphire and diamond band that matched her earrings. She had on very little make-up. A woman of class, power, and intelligence, Sirius diagnosed. 

 

Pale eyes studied him shrewdly from behind thin, gold-wire frame glasses. He wondered why she didn’t wear contacts, but decided that she wore the glasses because they gave her an air of power. Like the headmistress of a high-class prepatory academy. A rather thin mouth lifted slightly at the corners. “Please sit down, Mr. Black,” she said, waving to one of the visitor’s chairs in front of her desk. He walked across the room and seated himself in the chair, stretching his long legs out in front of him casually. 

 

He saw her pale eyes looking him over, taking in his clothes, hair, and the earring, just as the secretary had. But she didn’t react like the other woman. Not surprising, considering the fact that she must have checked him out thoroughly before she asked his friend Remus to speak to him about taking some kind of job for her company. “Welcome to Hogwarts, Inc., Mr. Black,” she said after a moment. “I am Minerva McGonagall, Vice President of this company. The Head of our Accounting Department, Mr. Lupin, speaks highly of you. And I have heard good things of you from many other sources, as well. The word is that if you have problem that involves computers, Sirius Black is the man who can fix that problem.” 

 

Sirius lifted his brows slightly. “And I take it you have some sort of problem?” he remarked. 

 

She nodded minutely. “A very serious one, I’m afraid. We have discovered that one of our employees has been embezzling money from this company. He or she has managed to make off with over three million pounds so far.”

 

He whistled. “That’s a lot of money,” he agreed. “But what has it got to do with me?” 

 

She sighed. “Because I’m very much afraid that whoever has done this must be one of our programmers,” she replied. “Let me explain why.” “Hogwarts, Inc. is poised to become the next Microsoft,” she continued. At the expression on his face, one corner of her mouth lifted. “A bold claim, to be sure, but also quite true, I assure you. Our Research and Development Department is working on a super fast microchip that will revolutionize the industry. We have been pouring money into R&D for the last year or so, and are close to a breakthrough. I cannot go into the details of the research, but suffice it to say that chip will most likely be ready for the market within another six months or so. But some enterprising soul or souls took it upon themselves to use this outpouring of funds into R&D to help themselves to some of that cash. They submitted detailed requests for funds to our accounting department. All of their paperwork is computerized, of course. These requests were honored, since everything appears on the surface to be legitimate. I will show you copies of those documents, and you will be able to see for yourself.” 

 

She picked up a folder off her desk and handed it to him. “When the money was released, instead of going into the R&D coffers, it was shunted into a private bank account. That is the only way that those documents,” she nodded to the folder that Sirius was leafing through, “Differ from the regular funding requests, in fact. The routing numbers. When the accounting department staff used those, the money automatically was sent into this bank account. It was opened in the name of a Jeffrey Hewes, but further investigation has proved that this man does not exist. The ‘paper trail’ leading to him is completely bogus. Someone used a computer to create this person, and then erased all pertinent data afterward. The money only sat in that account for a few hours, then through a complicated transfer process ended up in a bank in the Cayman Islands. This was repeated over and over, since the requests were cannily made for amounts that would not set off any alarm bells." 

 

"We only discovered the thefts by accident, actually. It was your friend Remus Lupin who did so, when he was going over some of the R&D accounts. Fortunately for us, he is methodical, detail-oriented, and has an eye for things that are out of place. When he realized just what he was seeing, he came to me without telling anyone else. I consulted with Albus Dumbledore, our President, and we decided to keep this quiet. Not only because of embarrassment to the company, but because we are hoping to discover the perpetrator of this fraud before he ‘skips town’, as the saying goes. That’s where you come in, Mr. Black. We want you to look into this matter, and to use your computer skills to track down whoever has embezzled this money from Hogwarts before they become aware that we know of their perfidy.”

 

“It takes a programmer to catch a programmer?” he remarked, still reading one of the copies of the documents in the folder.

 

“Precisely. Only someone who is very skilled with a computer could so neatly have absconded with so much money. Every step of the process was done on a computer, or involved a computer in some way. No normal employee with a limited understanding of technology could have done it. While it grieves me to have to prosecute one of our employees, I will not hesitate to do so once you succeed.”

 

He looked up at her. “You seem awfully confident that I will,” he noted. 

 

“Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Black.” She replied tartly. “And besides, I believe that I can offer you an incentive that will make this definitely worth your while. Ten per cent of the money that has been stolen will be your fee.” 

 

Sirius felt his jaw heading for the floor. Her pale eyes gleamed with humor as he struggled to come to terms with the fact that Hogwarts, Inc. intended to pay him over 300,000 pounds for doing this job. While he seldom used his fees as an impetus to actually take a job, this was a bit above normal. But he still might have turned the job down, money or no money, if he hadn’t been interested. But he was. This was a mystery he thought he’d enjoy solving. And he might actually manage to catch a criminal. How many times did a troubleshooter get such an opportunity? Besides… 

 

Unbidden, a memory from the lobby not long ago rose up in his head. The blazing black eyes set in a bony, sallow face under a mop of rather greasy-looking hair. Not exactly stunningly good-looking, but there had been something in those eyes… And he strongly suspected that the unknown man’s looks would be greatly improved by a better haircut. Sirius was curious, and his curiosity had led him down far more dangerous paths than this one in the past. He wanted to know who that man was who’d glared at him so disdainfully earlier, and he could find out if he took the job. 

 

Aloud he said to McGonagall: "I’ll take it. But what are you going to tell your employees, especially the programmers, when I come snooping around?”

 

Her smile was wintry. “They will be told that you are going to be working closely with our own programmers to fix a bug in the new software before it’s shipped to stores. You’re going to offend more than one of our programmers, I’m afraid, since those who worked on that project will be able to complain rightly that there are no major bugs in that software. Be prepared to be hated.”

 

Sirius shrugged. “I’m used to hurt feelings,” he replied, “And bruised egos, both. So when do I get started?” 

 

“Now,” she said calmly. She pushed the intercom button on her desk. “Margaret, would you please send Tom Riddle in here?”

 

Sirius heard the secretary’s reply. McGonagall took her finger off the button. “Mr. Riddle is my most able senior assistant,” she told him. “He will take you to the head of the programming department, Peter Pettigrew…” 

 

Sirius laughed, which made her look surprised. “What is it, Mr. Black?” she asked curiously.

 

“I don’t need any introductions to Pete,” he said in amusement. “Peter Pettigrew went to the same school as Remus, James Potter and I did.” 

 

“Hmm,” her expression was neutral. “And are you friends with Mr. Pettigrew, Mr. Black?” she asked with an edge to her voice. She obviously didn’t like Peter Pettigrew very much. Sirius couldn’t blame her at all.

 

“No, Peter and I weren’t friends in school,” he said. “And I very much doubt that we will be now.”

 

She nodded, clearly satisfied. “Very well. Ahh, Tom. Here you are. This is Sirius Black.”

 

Sirius turned in his chair to see a handsome young man striding into Minerva McGonagall’s office. This person smiled with just the right touch of obsequiousness at the vice president. A pair of the coldest, most calculating eyes that Sirius had ever seen turned his way after a moment. “Welcome to Hogwarts, Mr. Black,” Tom Riddle said pleasantly.

 

He sounded young, eager, and helpful, all states belied by those eyes. Sirius nodded warily at him, thinking to himself that despite how handsome this guy was he’d sooner want to sleep with a crazed cobra. “Thank you, Mr. Riddle” he said, keeping his voice bland and as pleasant as the other man’s was.

 

Tom Riddle shook his head. “Please call me Tom, Mr. Black,” he said. 

 

Sirius didn’t point out that he’d be as likely to call Osama Bin Laden familiarly by his first name as he was to use this fellow’s. He smiled tightly. “Can we get going? I can’t wait to have an old school reunion with Peter Pettigrew."

 

“Of course,” Tom Riddle waited politely as Sirius rose to his feet and turned to look at Minerva McGonagall.

 

“It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Black,” she said. “I trust you’ll help us clear up our little problem quite swiftly.” 

 

“I’m sure I will,” he said easily. “I’ll get right on it.”

 

She nodded. “Excellent.” She gave him a look that was clearly a dismissal, and he turned to follow Tom Riddle as the assistant went toward the still open door of the vice president’s office. Out in the small reception area, Riddle turned to him and waved a hand toward the elevators. “Mz. McGonagall asked me to escort you down to the floors where the programmers work,” he said, still pleasantly. “If you’ll accompany me…” 

 

“Lead the way,” Sirius replied, not liking the thought of having Riddle either walking behind him or anywhere near him. The younger man set his hackles up. Riddle nodded his dark curly head, and they went to the bank of elevators. Riding in that small space with the nasty little assistant wasn’t a very pleasant experience for Sirius. He didn’t like contained spaces anyway, having a touch of claustrophobia. And standing that near to Tom Riddle made him want to snap his elbow up into the young assistant’s face as hard as he could, just on principle.

 

He set his gaze on the silvery metal of the elevator doors, saying nothing. The other man seemed to sense some of Sirius’s reaction to him, for he said nothing either. That was fine by Sirius. While the silence was thick in the elevator, it was still better than trying to respond to conversational gambits by someone who he’d taken such a severe dislike to immediately on meeting him. Capable this young chap might be, but Sirius Black didn’t trust him as far as he could have tossed the assistant. Maybe not even that far. He wondered why someone as intelligent as the vice president was would not only hire someone like this, but also promote him. But then, Riddle was obviously one of those types that could charm the birds out of the trees – just before he stomped them flat. The man was a snake – but that type of person proliferated in every industry and business. To get ahead required ruthlessness and cunning, not good manners and niceness. The creature would probably be president of this company in twenty years or so. Maybe less.

 

The elevator finally slid open, and Sirius took a deep breath of relief as he once more followed Tom Riddle out into a short hallway. “This way, Mr. Black,” he said, inclining his head to the left. Sirius followed him, and they entered two clear glass doors that led into an open area full of cubicles – the land of Sirius’s people, transcending race, sex, age, you name it. Here he felt most at home, and he smiled as he pushed through the doors and took a deep breath of the stale, closed, office-building air.


	3. Chapter 3

Tom Riddle led Sirius to a small office off to the side, as several people turned to stare at the two men. He could hear whispers starting up behind him as Riddle knocked on the frame of the open door politely. “Mr. Pettigrew? I’ve Sirius Black here to see you,” he said. 

 

A rather high voice that Sirius recognized instantly spoke from within. “Ahh, of course. Show him in, Mr. Riddle.” 

 

The assistant stepped back and made a hand movement toward the door. “Please go in, Mr. Black,” he said, and Sirius stepped past him into the small office. He saw that the tiny space had a minimum of furniture. Just a metal desk, a filing cabinet, a couple of chairs, a computer, and a tiny table holding a coffee maker and all of the other supplies necessary to make a wretched cup of office coffee. Sitting behind the desk, just rising to his feet, was a small, plump man with a comb-over and a tiny pair of rodent-like eyes that still contained the same sly expression that Sirius remembered from school. He was wearing a cardigan over an ugly tie and a plain white shirt. 

 

Peter Pettigrew conjured up an obsequious smile for him. “Sirius, old friend! How delightful to see you again!” he exclaimed with a great deal more jollity than was required. “It’s been such a long time. How are you?”

 

“I’m fine, Mr. Pettigrew,” Sirius replied coldly. He despised familiarity in those he disliked, and he’d always loathed the oily, toadying little Pettigrew. 

 

His tone of voice didn’t seem to have much affect on the little manager. “Well, welcome to Hogwarts,” he said, waving his small, plump hands in the air. “Please sit down,” he indicated one of the rather hard-looking chairs in front of his desk. 

 

Sirius looked at it, but decided to forgo the pleasure. “I’d like to get right to work, if it’s all right with you,” he said to Pettigrew. The manager hesitated, shooting a glance at Tom Riddle, who was standing in his doorway. Clearly he wasn’t happy about the reception he was getting from the great Sirius Black,as he’d probably hoped to use their tenuous ‘connection’- i.e. the fact that they’d attended the same school - to raise his stature in the company’s social infrastructure. But that plan wasn’t working out, because Sirius was treating him with the contempt a man might show for a particularly squirmy bug that had crawled onto him, not as an old school chum.

 

He cleared his throat. “Well, yes, of course,” he said, some of the joviality fading out of his face. “I’ll introduce you to some of my programmers, shall I? Since you’ll be working so closely with them.” 

 

“That would be great,” Sirius drawled. He left the office, brushing past Tom Riddle, who had stepped back to give him room.

 

Peter Pettigrew bustled out of his office after them, strutting self-importantly ahead of both men. “This way, this way,” he said, motioning with his hands in the direction he wanted them to go. Sirius followed the small, plump form as the manager led him between the rows of cubicles until they reached a middle section. “These are some of the programmers you’ll be working with, the ones who developed the new software that you’re debugging,” Pettigrew said loudly. 

 

Sirius winced internally as his words brought people to the doors of their cubicles, and caused several to scowl at him coldly. Oblivious to the bad atmosphere, Pettigrew began to introduce some of the programmers. “This is Arthur Weasley,” Pettigrew said, indicating a slim man with a shock of receding red hair, who looked Sirius over out of a pair of mild blue eyes from behind round, gold-rimmed spectacles.

 

After a moment he nodded pleasantly at Sirius. “Welcome to Hogwarts, Mr. Black,” he said, sounding far more as though he meant that than Pettigrew had just a few minutes before. 

 

Sirius, who’d taken a liking to him on sight, smiled and said: “Thanks. I’m sure I’ll like working here. Even if only temporarily.” 

 

Pettigrew had bustled onward without paying attention to this exchange. “And this is Lucius Malfoy,” he said, introducing a tall, thin man with a shock of very pale hair and a pair of light-blue eyes that looked him over keenly.

 

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Black,” he said, and Sirius gave him a small nod but said nothing in return. He wasn’t sure he trusted what lay behind those calculating eyes. He’d have to be wary of this Malfoy, he thought. The man looked like someone who’d smile to your face as he was stabbing you in the back. 

 

He was introduced to a few more of the programmers, most of whose names he forgot immediately. But then Pettigrew arrived at a cubicle with no person standing in the doorway. “Ahh, and this is our most accomplished programmer, Mr. Black,” he said, having forgone using Sirius’s first name. The man had more brains than he appeared to on the surface, Sirius thought dryly. “Although he’s a bit anti-social, as well. Mr. Sirius Black, this is Severus Snape.” 

 

Sirius had arrived at the door of the cubicle, and saw a man hunched over his computer. He was clearly being given the cold shoulder, and his brows lifted slightly. He noticed the rather long, stringy, greasy-looking mop of hair, and his heart picked up a bit. He’d found that black-eyed man who’d glared at him out in the lobby earlier. 

 

“Snape! I say, Snape! Be a good fellow and come and meet Sirius Black,” Pettigrew said impatiently to the programmer, who was giving very good cold shoulder. Sirius had to admire his form. At last he sighed and swiveled his chair around. Those same pair of intense black eyes glowered at Sirius from under the mop of lank hair. Definitely a better haircut, he thought. And getting him out into the sun for a bit each day wouldn’t hurt, either. Still, he had good bone structure, and a face that was interesting even if it wasn’t classically handsome. But it was the intelligent, magnetic dark eyes that so eloquently displayed the forceful personality behind them that were the real draw for Sirius.

 

For a moment his own eyes locked with Snape’s, before the programmer frowned and looked at his manager instead of at the tall man standing in the doorway of his cubicle. Pettigrew frowned. “Aren’t you at least going to say hello to Mr. Black, Snape?” he said rebukingly.

 

“Hello,” Snape replied coldly. He still didn’t look at Sirius as he did so.

 

Pettigrew was clearly flustered by his employee’s bad attitude. “Well, I say… “ He said weakly. “You’ll be working a good bit with Snape, Mr. Black,” he said to Sirius apologetically, “As a great deal of the credit for the software design lies with him. I’m sure that he’ll be able to help you find the bug in it quickly.” 

 

Sirius saw Snape stiffen at these words, and rage flashed over the bony face. And why shouldn’t he be angry? His baby was being questioned, and the most laughable thing was that there were no major bugs in this software at all. This made his task harder, Sirius thought wryly. Not the task of getting along with Snape for the time he would be searching for fictional bugs, but the personal task he’d set himself of getting to know this Severus Snape better. It had been some time since he’d come across anyone who interested him this much right from the start, and he intended to see if he continued to be drawn to the other programmer. If he was, well…his time at Hogwarts could be far more pleasant than he’d ever imagined it might be.

 

 

 

Snape shot a sideways look at Sirius Black. The tall man had insisted on crowding into his cubicle, so that they could ‘work together’. His leg was nearly pressed up against Black’s, as the man was leaning back in the computer chair that Pettigrew had had someone fetch for him from Stores. This was far too close for Snape, who had space issues, and who valued his personal space too much to like to have it invaded. Especially by someone like Black, who was a total wanker. He didn’t care for the way that those keen grey eyes watched him, or the small smile that kept lifting the corners of that sensual mouth. It was as though the other man were laughing at him silently. 

 

His fingers nearly dug into the edge of his keyboard as he said: “This is the code for the software. I think that you’ll find that it's all in order,” there was a sting to his voice, as the fury he felt over Black’s reason for being called in welled up inside of him again. How dared they bring in a troubleshooter to ‘fix’ his work! He wasn’t Baxter, a bumbling moron with about as much skill as an aardvark with a computer. If there had been any major flaws in the program, he would have known about it. This was absurd and infuriating.

 

“I expect I wil,l” Black replied amiably, taking him by surprise. He looked up to see that the tall programmer was staring at him again, and wasn’t sure he cared for the expression on the other man’s face. 

 

“What do you mean?” he asked warily. Black’s eyes seemed to be trying to look right through him, so intense and searching were they. “I’m going to tell you something,” he began softly, “Information that could get me in big trouble if you mention it to anybody else. But my instincts say that I can trust you. And I’ll need to recruit some help on this one.” 

 

He paused, his face serious. “I wasn’t hired to find and fix bugs in your perfectly viable software,” he said, taking Snape by surprise. “That is just the cover story I’ve been given so that I can legitimately hang around your department. The truth is, I’m not looking for bugs at all…I’m looking for a thief.”

 

“A thief?” Snape replied, his brows going down as little as he turned toward Sirius. His black eyes were sharper and more intent than they had been a few moments before, and Sirius’s breath caught a little. He liked this intensity in the other programmer. He wondered idly if Severus Snape would display that same intensity in bed. He meant to find the answer to that question very soon if he possibly could.

 

He made a motion with his hand for Snape to lower his voice, even as he nodded. “That’s right. My friend Remus Lupin accidentally discovered that someone had been channeling funds away from this massive R& D project you’ve got going on, and into a private bank account instead. The money eventually ended up in the Cayman Islands, which is where the thief himself will also be going very soon if I can’t discover his identity. He’s so far made off with over three million pounds of your company’s money.” 

 

Snape was flabbergasted, both by the amount of money and the fact that Black was telling him this story in the first place. “Why trust me with this information?” he asked quietly but warily, studying Sirius Black’s handsome face once more.

 

Black shrugged. “I don’t know,” he replied. “As I said before,I just have an instinct about you Mr. Snape. So I’m going with it. Am I wrong? Are you going to broadcast this news all around the company? Or maybe you’re the embezzler, in which case I’ve completely screwed the pooch? Will you help me find this thief, who has to be one of your fellow programmers?” 

 

Snape was silent as he thought about this question. But the truth was, it angered him that one of his fellows had used their skills to steal from the company. Hogwart’s salaries were generous, and their benefits packages excellent. It was just pure greed and selfishness that was motivating this person, and it couldn’t help but make the rest of them look bad. Finding out that Sirius Black wasn’t here to pick apart his work, after all, also helped to ameliorate his initial anger. “Very well,” he said quietly after a moment, “I will help you, Mr. Black.”

 

Sirius grinned, a dazzling smile that lightened his face and made him even more good-looking. “Thank you, Mr. Snape,” he stopped, eyeing Snape thoughtfully. “Do we have to be so formal if we’re going to be working closely together? You can call me Sirius.” 

 

Snape hesitated. He still didn’t like this Sirius Black very much, and he would have preferred to stick to the more formal last names. But still…he sighed, moving his shoulders uncomfortably. “You may call me Severus, then,” he said. 

 

“Severus,” Sirius rolled the name over his tongue. “Does anyone ever call you by a nickname?” 

 

Snape stiffened. “Yes,” he replied tightly, saying no more. It was clear that Sirius Black was one of the people he didn’t want using that nickname.

 

The tall man’s lips twitched. “All right then. I suggest that we begin our search by looking at the original funding request forms. Your vice president, Minerva McGonagall, says that they only differ from the regular request forms in the routing numbers. Those numbers sent the money to the privately opened bank account instead of into the R& D funding accounts. We can call my friend Remus and have him send those phony documents to your computer.” 

 

He proceeded to do just that, calling Accounting and asking to speak quietly to Remus Lupin. “Hey, Rem. It’s me. I’m down in Cubicle Land right now, about to begin the search for the incredible disappearing research money. I was hoping that you’d send copies of those phony documents to Severus Snape’s computer. Yes, I said Severus Snape. He’s going to help me look for the thief. Is it wise to trust him?” he repeated, looking at Snape. He smiled. “Maybe not, but it’s too late. I already gave him all the pertinent details about the theft. Yes, I know,” he chuckled at whatever Lupin had just said to him.

 

“But when have my instincts ever steered us wrong? Okay, there was that one time with the headmaster and the parson’s donkey, but that would have worked if James hadn’t got caught coming out of his room. I can’t help it if he’s got bad luck. No, I haven’t seen him yet. When I do, I’ll talk him into going out for a drink with you and I.” he listened, then shook his head. “Oh, that’s right. He just married that gorgeous red-haired bird that works in your customer service department. I can’t blame him for wanting to spend all his time with her. Ah, well. Reminiscing about good old times will have to wait. So could you send those documents down here? E-mail them to his computer. And you and I can at least go out for that drink, I’m sure your Dora won’t care. Hell, bring her along. She’s great fun. Thanks, Rem. See you later.”

 

He hung up the phone. “Well, he’s sending them,” he said, turning to Snape. But he stopped talking, feeling the iceberg chill emanating from the other programmer’s body. The greasy-haired man had turned away from him, presenting his back to Sirius, and was studiously ignoring him. He wondered just what he’d said or done to get this reaction from Snape. He had no idea, of course, that it was his references to his friend ‘James’ in that conversation, the one who was married to that gorgeous red-haired bird from their customer service department. That Sirius Black was a good friend of James Potter just confirmed his impression of the other man as a grade A wanker. He might have to work with Black to catch this thief, but that didn’t mean that he had to like it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius knows what he wants. But he also knows it's going to be an uphill battle...

Snape and Sirius spent some time going over the falsified documents, then tried to trace their origin. But whoever had created them had covered his or her tracks very well. There was no trace left in the Hogwarts network, even if the programmer had used company computers, which probably wasn't likely anyway. A smart person wouldn't have done this at work, and this was clearly a pretty intelligent individual. After all, they wouldn't have been caught if Remus Lupin hadn't accidentally stumbled onto their little scam. 

 

Sirius frowned thoughtfully to himself as he studied Severus's computer screen. “I';m beginning to think,” he said musingly to Snape, “That this isn't a one-man job.”

 

The programmer looked at him. “Why do you say that?” he asked.

 

Sirius waved a hand at him as he leaned back in his chair. “A computer programmer, while he's savvy about computers themselves, doesn't tend to be about other things like paperwork and bank transfers to foreign countries. If someone coached him on what to do, he could create those falsified documents and also do the multiple transfers that ended up in a Cayman Islands bank account. But on his own...” he shrugged.

 

Snape's brows drew down a little. “So you're saying that someone else in the company may be helping our thief? Someone who's not a programmer?” 

 

“I think it's possible. This operation seems too slick for your run-of-the-mill computer geek. I could see someone smart and amoral coming up with the idea, then pulling in a dishonest computer programmer to do the grunt work. That'll make our task a bit harder, because we'll have to find out not just who the programmer is, but also the identity of his partner.” he ran a hand over his hair. “I think our best bet would be to design a program to track all of the documents coming into the Accounting department. These guys aren't aware that someone is on to them, after all; and they've proven that they're greedy. They might try this again. Stealing is often like being a compulsive gambler – you always want to make just one more bet, or take one more thing. It becomes almost obsessive, once you get away with it long enough. They're riding an adrenaline high right now. As far as they know, their little scheme hasn't been discovered. Why couldn't they continue to do it until the R&D money runs out? Then they can get on a plane and disappear for good, go and collect their fortune.”

 

His grey eyes went half-lidded. “It wouldn't surprise me if the programmer himself isn't set up to take the fall somehow. After all, people like this don't like to share.” 

 

Snape blinked. “It will be easy enough to create a program like that,” he said shortly. He didn't comment on the rest of Sirius's statement, as he was keeping what he said to the other programmer to a bare minimum. 

 

Sirius sighed silently. Trying to get Severus Snape to unbend around him was like beating his head against a brick wall. Both futile and painful. But that wasn't going to stop him from doing it. He found himself curiously attracted to the other man, although Severus Snape wasn't his regular type. He had a need to get under the visible shields and see just what kind of person lurked there. And if he was anything, he was persistent.

 

“All right,” he replied aloud to Snape's comment. “We'll get started on that tomorrow,” he glanced at his sports watch, which said that it was almost seven o'clock. He was due to meet Lupin and his wife Dora at the pub they liked to frequent in less than half an hour. He stood up, then hesitated. “I don't suppose you'd like to join me and Remus Lupin for a drink, would you?” he asked without much hope. 

 

He received a black eyed stare for this suggestion that would have made weaker men quail. “No, thank you,” Snape said coldly, turning back to his screen so that he could start to shut down his computer for the night.

 

Sirius rolled his shoulders. “Okay. I'll see you tomorrow morning then, Severus.” he noticed a stiffening of the narrow shoulders when he called Snape by his first name, in spite of the fact that he had permission to use it. He sighed again, rubbing wearily at his face, and left Snape's cubicle. The other programmer didn't turn around to watch him go. Not that he had expected Snape to do that. Damn, but the man was going to be a hard nut to crack! But he'd never given up before once he was on the trail of something. And he didn't intend to do so now. Somehow, someway, he'd find a way to win Severus Snape over. Or his name wasn't Sirius Black.

 

Snape closed down his computer, then rose from his chair and walked between the rows of empty cubicles to collect his jacket from the employee coatroom and his belongings from his locker. He was the last one out; this part of the building seemed to echo emptily. As he pulled on his jacket and thrust his wallet and keys into his pocket, he pondered his new 'partner'. Temporary partner, anyway. Just until they could discover the names of the people who were stealing money from the company. Sirius Black obviously thought that he was God's gift to the world, and that his charm could win him through any situation. He had no idea why the man seemed to care enough to turn it full bore on him, but he wasn't going to fall for it. And he would make that clear to the other man until Black got the message and left him alone.

 

He walked home, since his flat was no more than a mile from Hogwarts and he liked to stay in shape. His shoes made dull sounds against the pavement. He stopped to buy some take-out from the Chinese restaurant that was a few blocks from his flat, so that he wouldn't have to cook. Living alone, and possessing only very mediocre cooking skills, he ate from restaurants as often as he could. All he could manage were his breakfast eggs and sausage, as well as the sandwiches he took to work for his lunch. Carrying the bag of take-out, he continued on to his flat. He lived on the first floor, so he walked up a flight of stairs. 

 

He stopped to collect his mail, seeing one of his neighbors who lived on the ground floor also checking her box. She smiled at him in greeting. “Good evening, Mr. Snape,” she said.

 

“Good evening, Mrs. Worthing,” he replied somewhat stiffly. His social skills weren't very good, although he tried with people like her, as she was a very nice lady. His only complaint about her was that she tried to set him up with her single friends, and she often gently poked at him about his lack of a girlfriend. 

 

“You're working late tonight,” she said disapprovingly. “That company of yours works you too hard.”

 

“I had something special I was working on,” he said.

 

She shook her head. “It seems to me that you always have something special you're working on. You need someone to make you want to come home at night.” 

 

He winced internally. “I'm sure you're right,” he said through gritted teeth. “But if you'll excuse me, Mrs. Worthing, my food will get cold if I don't eat it soon...” he held up the take-out bag for her to see. 

 

“All right. But that's why you need someone to look after you. Someone who can cook,” she said as he headed toward the stairs and escape.

 

He was happy to get into his flat. That small conversation had made the headache forming behind his eyes much worse. He rubbed at his eyes wearily as he walked into the tiny sitting room and sat down on his couch. Not for the first time, he was aware of just how empty his flat was. Once, he';d had hopes and dreams. Once, he'd imagined a lovely red haired woman singing as she moved around the kitchen making tea. But no more – those dreams had died at the altar when Lily became Mrs. James Potter. Now he was learning to resign himself to the emptiness, to being alone.

 

Unbidden, the oddest image rose up in his mind. He was startled by it, to say the least. He saw someone sitting on his couch while HE made tea in the kitchen. This someone was lounging on the couch like a great cat, watching his telly. This person was most definitely not a woman, unless women were over six-feet tall and had slight five o'clock shadows on their chins. The head turned, and he saw the handsome, rather hawkish profile. Sirius Black was sitting on his couch, watching his television set.

 

Astonished, he blinked to clear this image from his brain and the backs of his retinas both. Where had that come from? Why was he imaging someone like Sirius Black in his flat? The thing about that vision that made him the most uneasy was the cozy domestic feel to it. It hadn't been as though he'd overcome his complete aversion to the man and had become friends with him. No, it had been more than that. He shook his head. Apparently he was starting to lose his faculties, if he could even imagine being in any kind of intimate situation with a wanker like Black. Maybe he'd been alone too long. If that were so, he'd better start dating fast, before his mind went completely... 

 

 

Sirius sipped at the ale in his glass. It was rich, deep and dark, like the waters of the lochs of Scotland where his family originally came from. He looked up at Remus, who was drinking whiskey neat and eating crisps. He was a sloppy eater, and crumbs kept falling on his tweed jacket. He brushed them away carelessly, making his wife roll her eyes.

 

Dora Lupin was a great deal neater than her spouse, although her appearance was so eye-popping that most people didn't notice that at first. Her wild tuft of hair was a brilliant aquamarine color, and she had a gold stud piercing through her left nostril. She was wearing a a denim jacket over a short black dress with a tattered hem, and he could see the tattoo on her wrist when she drank. It was a leopard, the cat looking like it might jump off her skin at any moment. He knew that she had other tattoos as well, including one on her inner right thigh. He only knew about that one because she'd told him about it when she'd gotten it. That's how he knew about several other piercings she had, as well. She and Remus seemed like the ultimate odd couple, he so fussy and detail-oriented, and a worry-wort to boot; she a wild child, skimming through life without a care in the world. But they worked. They'd been married for four years now, and had a toddler, a cute little boy named Teddy. And they were still as in love as they had been the day they'd gotten married.

 

Sirius envied them their happy home life, especially at times like this when he was so very alone. This thought led to another – Severus Snape. “Hey, Rem,” he said aloud. 

 

“Yes?” Remus looked up from his drink.

 

“You've worked at Hogwarts for what? Six years now?”

 

Remus nodded. “That's right. Straight out of university. Why?”

 

“How long has Severus Snape worked there? And do you know anything about him?” he couldn't quite conceal the eagerness in his voice, and Lupin's brows shot up as Dora goggled a him a bit.

 

“You fancy that bloke Snape?” she said incredulously. 

 

“I might. Why?” Sirius replied. 

 

She made a face. “He's just so...I dunno, sour,” she said, waving a hand with violently scarlet nails on it in the air. 

 

“Rather anti-social, but a marvelous programmer,” her husband agreed, flicking more crumbs off the front of his jacket.

 

“Is that all you know about him?” Sirius said in exasperation.

 

His tone of voice lifted Remus's brows once more. “Uhh...well, he keeps to himself most of the time,” he said. “I know that he reads quite a bit...I've seen him at lunch time in the company break room,” he said slowly.

 

“What kind of books does he read?” Sirius asked.

 

“Oh, some technical manuals, but mostly historical fiction. And the occasional bit of exciting fiction, like John F. MacDonald. That's just from my glancing at the titles of the books he's reading occasionally, mind you. So I can't say for sure that those are the only kinds of books he reads.” 

 

“It's a start,” the programmer said musingly, leaning back in his chair. “Anything else you know about him?” 

 

“He lives alone,” Dora replied promptly, before taking a drink of her Coke. Despite her appearance, she wasn't a great partier. And she was used to not drinking alcohol now, since she'd breast fed Teddy for the first six months of his life.

 

It was Sirius's turn to lift his brows. “And how, pray tell, do you know that?” he inquired. 

 

She grinned. “Stands to reason. No man's that gloomy unless he's not getting any,” she went on with a wink. Remus laughed into his whiskey, spluttering a little as some of it almost went up his nose in consequence. “Besides, I bet Rem's never seen him with a woman,” she added, pointing a finger at her spouse. 

 

“That isn't quite true,” the accountant said, surprising both of them. When they were both looking at him, he shrugged slightly. “He's friends with Lily Potter,” he said, as Sirius's jaw dropped and his wife looked startled. “He was friends with her long before she met James. Since university, I think. I've seen them together, and something tells me that he'd have liked to be more than friends with her. But she was oblivious, and then she and James started dating. And that was that.”

 

Sirius's fist crashed down on the table, and Remus jumped while Dora nearly dropped her glass. “That's it!” he cried, while his friends stared at him. “That's why he was treating me like I was some kind of contagious disease. He heard me talking with you on the phone earlier about James,” he explained to Remus. “And if he hates James because he 'stole' Lily, then it stands to reason that he'd hate people who were James's close friends. Including me,” he tapped himself on the chest. Glumly he shook his head. “This isn't going to be easy,” he said, taking a gulp from his glass of ale. 

 

“What isn't?” Dora asked curiously, cocking her head like a bird. 

 

Sirius lifted his shoulders. “Getting to know him,” he replied. “I've got two strikes against me already – he likes women, and he hates my friend James Potter. But a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do,” he lowered his voice, trying his best Texas drawl in intimation of the Duke.

 

Dora giggled, her eyes sparkling. “You're a scream, Sirius” she said. “So what'll you do?” she asked. “To overcome those two strikes, I mean.” 

 

“I dunno yet,” he scratched at his temple with one finger. “I'll have to put some thought into it. I can't just hope that proximity and my charm will get me through on this one. I think I'll have to plan this like a military campaign. Lay siege to his heart, as it were,” his grey eyes gleamed. 

 

Dora laughed. “Good luck with that,” she said dryly. 

 

“I'll need all I can get,” he agreed. 

 

 

Sirius got home at about nine, since Remus and Dora couldn't stay out late because of their baby. He walked into his flat, which was a large, well-furnished one overlooking the Thames. But like Severus Snape, he felt the emptiness of the place as soon as he went through the door. The last man he'd brought back here had been a one-night stand almost a month ago, a guy he'd picked up in a pub. That had been a decidedly unspectacular sexual encounter. After the other man had left in the morning, he'd lain in bed and decided that he was utterly tired of casual, no-strings attached sex. While celibacy wasn't the most appetizing option, it had still been better than the other ones. 

 

So he'd been without companionship of any kind since that morning, and he was definitely feeling it now. Especially since he'd met Severus Snape. The other programmer was not the kind of guy that he'd ever think of as a casual lay. He could definitely imagine getting serious with this one. If only he could think of a way to get the previously heterosexual Snape to look at another man. There had to be a way...oh, well, he'd have to sleep on it. He'd gotten some of his best ideas while he was in bed. And some of those had happened when he was actually sleeping...


	5. Chapter 5

Snape went to work feeling tired and out-of-sorts the next morning. He hadn’t slept well; he kept waking up from strange dreams. Many of them had featured a certain annoying wanker, much to his chagrin. And one or two if them…well, he didn’t even want to think about what had been happening in those dreams. So he wasn’t going to. He forced himself to eat his breakfast, made and packed his lunch, and began the walk to Hogwarts.

 

It was a grey, dank, spring day, which didn’t help his mood at all. He scowled at the clouds gathered overhead, grimacing as the occasional drizzle of rain hit his head or face. He’d forgotten his umbrella, and getting damp didn’t help him feel any better. He was in a black mood (pun definitely NOT intended!) by the time he got to work. He punched in, shaking out his jacket as he hung it on a hanger in the employee coatroom. He headed for his cubicle, not wanting to speak to anyone at the moment. 

 

But unfortunately for him, the person he wanted to see least(although that might be a toss-up with Lucius Malfoy) was already sitting in the extra chair in his cubicle, looking far too rested and bright-eyed for this early in the morning. Two steaming cups of coffee from a high-end and expensive chain of coffee stores were sitting on the desktop, streaming faintly. They smelled wonderful, which Snape tried to ignore as he scowled at Black. 

 

“Good morning, Severus,” Sirius called, giving a little wave in greeting. He completely ignored Snape’s foul mood, pointing to one of the cups. “I brought you some java. You like espresso, don’t you? With real cream,” he added enticingly, “And just a bit of sugar. Drink up; it’ll help on such a wet day.”

 

His unmitigated cheerfulness felt like it was rubbing all of Snape’s nerves raw. But what really took him aback was the fact that the other programmer seemed to know not only what kind of coffee he liked, but also just how he prepared it. Disturbed, he sat down in his chair and picked up the cup. He took a tentative sip, and found it to be just right. He glared at Sirius from under his thick dark brows suspiciously. “Who told you how I take my coffee?” he growled, his black eyes narrowing as they rested on Sirius’s handsome face. 

 

Black lifted his brows a bit, a small smile on his face. “Who would have told me?” he asked impishly. “Who knows how you take your coffee? I guess my instincts where you’re concerned are just good, that’s all.” He continued innocently.

 

Snape’s scowl deepened. It was true that no one knew how he drank his coffee, not even his friend Lily. But it was unbelievably disturbing to think that Sirius Black could have somehow guessed exactly how he took his coffee. He didn’t want the other man to know him that well in any way. He turned his back on Sirius, not even thanking him for the coffee. He transferred his scowl to his monitor as he turned it on. This was going to be a long day, he could see that already.

 

Sirius fought back a guffaw as Snape turned his back on him once again. There was one person who knew how Severus took his coffee, actually; the coffee bar attendant near Snape’s apartment who took his order almost every morning when the programmer stopped in to get coffee on his way to work. It hadn’t taken much effort to find out where the other programmer lived, nor to discover that there was a coffee bar nearby. He’d dropped in this morning to casually inquire whether his ‘new friend’ got coffee from the place, and was pleasantly surprised to find that he did. A small bribe provided the information about how Snape took his drink, and he’d swung by the larger chain to get some for both himself and Snape. He couldn’t very well have showed up with cups from the other programmer’s local coffee bar, after all. That would make him look like a stalker. 

 

Which he was, he thought with an internal grin. He was determined to find out as much as he could about Snape’s personal habits and lifestyle. Anything he could use in his war to win the other man’s heart… He learned back in his chair and sipped his own morning brew, savoring the foamy latte. Sirius had a severe sweet tooth; it was a wonder all of his teeth hadn’t rotted out yet. He was almost tempted to hum a victory tune under his breath. His first maneuver had been a huge success, he felt. He’d clearly flustered Snape. The other man still wasn’t looking at him; and the set of the bony shoulders told him that the other programmer was very upset at the moment. He decided not to make any more moves until Snape had calmed down a bit. Lull him into a false sense of security, then attack again…his eyes gleamed at this thought. 

 

It was just as well that Severus wasn’t looking at him at that moment, because the smug expression on his face would have tempted the other programmer to punch him hard. They talked about work exclusively after that, working on the tracking program together. Snape grudgingly had to admit to himself that Black was a brilliant programmer, although he would never have admitted that to the other man even under the pain of torture. They managed to put the finishing touches on it in only a few hours, and then set it loose in the mainframe to track all of the incoming electronic documents that arrived in the accounting department. When it found one that had the tracking numbers of the suspicious bank account on it, the document would be rerouted to Snape’s computer. 

 

 

Snape blinked as he came back to reality. He realized that it was lunch time; that he and Black had been working together for hours, as companionably as though they were old friends. He stiffened in his chair at this thought, as Sirius said in satisfaction: “That’ll take care of ‘em. Are you hungry, Severus?” he asked abruptly.

 

The other programmer gave him a dark look. “Yes,” he muttered. “I brought my lunch,” he added. 

 

Sirius waved a casual hand in the air. “Oh, come on. It can’t be that thrilling to eat packed lunches all the time. Let’s go out to eat – my treat.” He looked hopefully at Snape as he said this, turning on all of his wheedling charm. 

 

The other programmer’s scowl deepened. “No thank you,” he spat, reaching down to fish his lunch out of the backpack he carried to work every day.

 

Sirius sighed. He rose from his chair, looking down at the bent head with the greasy-looking mop of lank hair. God, the man was just so prickly! But he was both determined and stubborn. He walked out of the cubicle, thinking to himself that he could get some take-out food and bring it back to eat it in the employee cafeteria with Snape. Whether the other man liked it or not. But when he reached the lobby and saw what the weather was like outside, he turned and hurried back to the cubicle. His long legs carried him quickly, and he managed to catch Snape just as he started to go to the cafeteria. “Severus!” he called happily, “Come on. I know you won’t let me buy you lunch, but I can at least take you somewhere where you can enjoy it better than the employee cafeteria. It’s lovely outside,” he continued as Snape stared at him. Clearly the other programmer thought that he’d lost his mind.

 

“Lovely?” Snape repeated in a dubious tone of voice.

 

Sirius nodded. “That’s right, come and see.” He took a hold of Snape’s arm, making the other man give him a cold stare at his audacity. But as usual, Sirius paid no attention to his surly bad manners. He almost dragged Snape away from the cubicle, still paying no attention to the protests that the lanky man gave forth as he was pulled inexorably along by the much stronger Sirius Black. They reached the coatroom, and Sirius darted inside to claim Snape’s and his own jackets.

 

Severus stood with his arms crossed over his chest, scowling at the taller man as he emerged from the coatroom with their jackets draped over his arms. “I am not going anywhere with you, Black,” he snapped. 

 

Sirius shook his head. “And I’m not going to take no for an answer, Severus, especially when you won’t call me ‘Sirius’. This is your penalty for refusing to use my first name. I’m going to make you go outside and get some sun,” he grabbed Snape’s arm, and began to cheerfully drag him along again. 

 

Not even setting in his heels helped, and Snape was snarling as Sirius approached the doors leading outside. But he forgot his ire at the other programmer for a moment as he saw that the day had, indeed, turned lovely outside. The clouds were now mere fluffy white puffs in a clear, dazzling blue sky. “Told you,” Black said as he led Snape to the doors and pushed through them. 

 

Snape stared bemusedly up at the blue arch overhead, with birds wheeling through the vastness. But then his attention turned to far more Earthly matters as he caught a glimpse of the vehicle that Sirius proposed to use as their transportation. It was an enormous black motorcycle, gleaming with chrome. This time he managed to come to halt, determined not to get on that monstrosity. His mouth set in stubborn lines. “I will not ride on that, Black,” he growled. 

 

Sirius looked from him to the bike. “Aww, Severus,” he said, putting his free hand to his breast and looking exaggeratedly forlorn, “You wound me. How can you object to my baby? She’s as sweet a ride as you’ll find anywhere. And you’ll be as safe as a child in the womb, I swear it.”

 

Skepticism was visible on Snape’s face. “It certainly doesn’t look safe,” he replied, staring again at the enormous bike. 

 

Sirius smiled. “I swear it is – but if you don’t want to ride on it, you don’t have to. We’ll just go and eat in the employees’ cafeteria together.” 

 

Snape felt the hair prickle warningly on the back of his neck. "Together?” he repeated warily.

 

The handsome man grinned widely, his grey eyes twinkling. “That’s right. I figure you can introduce me to some of the other employees,” there was an insinuation in his voice that Snape didn’t like at all. He didn’t trust Black not to do something embarrassing just to discommode him. And he couldn’t forget that the other man was a confirmed homosexual; if they were seen together acting as though they were close(or at least Sirius acting that way, anyway) what impression would his fellow employees get? After all, he had never been seen with a woman at Hogwarts except for Lily, who was now married to James Potter. It wouldn’t take everyone long to start to assume that HE was a poof, too. Nor would he put it past Black to deliberately foster such an impression, just to drive him crazy. 

 

He sighed. “Very well,” he said tightly. 

 

Sirius beamed. “Great. I have an extra helmet you can wear,” he turned to get it, keeping to himself the fact that he’d brought it this morning just in case. He handed it to Snape, who scowled at it.

 

“Do you want some help putting it on?” Sirius asked hopefully, earning him an arctic look from stony dark eyes. His lips twitched, and he turned away to keep himself from laughing in Snape’s face. That would not endear him to the other man at all. 

 

“I feel ridiculous,” Snape said, and Sirius turned back around to see that he’d put the helmet on.

 

“Well, it's better than having your brains smeared on the pavement,” Black pointed out, sounding far too cheerful about the prospect as he put on his own custom-made helmet. 

 

“I thought you said that this vehicle was safe?” Snape said in alarm.

 

Sirius nodded. “It is,” he replied, “But it's good to take precautions. Come on Severus,” he straddled the bike casually and indicated that Snape should get on behind him.

 

The programmer hesitated, but in the end he had no choice. If he didn’t, Sirius would simply follow him to the employee cafeteria and make a scene. He was sure of it. He climbed gingerly onto the bike behind Sirius, and at the other man’s direction set his hands at Black’s waist. He was far too conscious of the strength in the powerful form, and of the fact that the front of his trousers was nearly pressed up against the other man’s denim-clad ass. He jumped as Sirius started the motorcycle with a roar, and then his fingers tightened until they were nearly white and bloodless as the tall man put up the kickstand and pulled out of his parking space.

 

He closed his eyes as he clung to Black, terror washing through him. He didn’t want to see the pavement passing by beneath them both far too fast and too closely, with no reassuring metal in the way on either side of them. The rumble of the engine was loud, like a great beast. When they turned out of the parking lot, panic consumed him and he tried very hard to actually climb onto Sirius. His arms closed tightly around the other man’s body, and his breathing hitched in and out of his chest. Sirius knew that Snape was terrified of his bike, but the consequences of this fear were far too pleasant for him to want to give it up. Severus was clinging to him, and the lanky body was pressed against his back. He drove quickly and rather recklessly, wanting to get to their destination as fast as possible so that poor Snape didn’t have to be on the bike any longer than was humanly possible. 

 

Fortunately, Hyde Park wasn’t that far from Hogwarts, and he drove into one of the parking lots with a flourish. He parked his bike, stopping the engine. He reached up to pull off his helmet, and then tenderly patted the hands that were clutching at his midsection. “We’re here, Severus”, he crooned, making his voice as soothing as possible. “It’s okay. You can get off now.”

 

The other programmer stirred, finally opening his eyes at Sirius’s reassuring words. He looked around, seeing the green grass of the park beyond the hedges. He opened his fingers, which wasn’t easy. They were stiff and bloodless. He flexed them for a moment, and then very slowly and stiffly crawled off the bike. He stood on wavering legs as Black got off far more easily and put down the kickstand. 

 

“See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Sirius remarked. 

 

Snape would have glared at him for this, but he was still too happy about having arrived safe and sound to work up the full ire necessary. He was startled when hands closed over the helmet he was still wearing and gently removed it. “There,” Sirius said as he returned the helmet to the saddlebag he’d dug it out of earlier. “Come on, Severus. I know a great place to eat lunch,” he drew Snape along with him into the park proper, and along one of the paths.

 

Snape had to admit that the park was beautiful on a day like this. New green was springing up everywhere, and birds were twittering in the trees. He caught a glimpse of the riders on Rotten Row, the horses’ hooves crunching on the neat gravel path. Once the nobility had come here every day to show themselves off. The park had been the in place to be. Now couples strolled the paths, and children’s laughter could be heard. A more common breed of Londoner came to Hyde Park to enjoy the now glorious spring day. They finally arrived at their destination, the dammed bit of river that had been turned into a boating pond. It was called the Serpentine, and boys (as well as a few girls) with toy boats knelt at the water’s edge. There were benches all along the path, and Sirius led the way to one of them that was shaded by some very old oaks. 

 

“Here we are,” he said as he settled his long form on the bench and patted the space beside him. “Sit down, Severus. Relax.”

 

Snape stared at that space, thinking to himself that he wouldn’t be relaxing if he had to sit so close to Black. But finally he sat down, although much further away toward the other end of the bench. He was as far from Sirius as he could get without falling off the bench altogether.

 

Sirius looked out over the water to conceal more laughter. Lord, but Severus Snape was just too adorable! He thought the nervousness that Snape displayed around him was utterly cute. He liked shaking the other man, because often he caught glimpses of what was under the tight shields that the other programmer kept around himself. He was fascinated by the inner Snape, and intended to do everything in his power to pull those shields down altogether. But for now, he was just going to enjoy the beautiful day and his companion both. There would be time enough later to begin his campaign once again – and it would be smart to let Snape relax a bit. That way, the other man wouldn’t be prepared at all for Sirius’s next tactic. Severus Snape would never know what hit him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius takes Severus to lunch, among other things...

“I’ve always loved it here,” Sirius’s voice said meditatively.

 

Snape looked up from his sandwich, seeing the tall man sitting with his arms draped over the back of the bench as he gazed off across the Serpentine. Black had already eaten, having bought a kebab from a vendor outside the park and then proceeded to scarf it so quickly that it took Snape’s breath away. He himself liked to linger over his food, taking his time. He saw that Sirius was smiling slightly, his eyes far away.

 

“I used to sail boats here as a boy,” he added, waving his hand at the artificial pond. “In fact, I wanted to be a sailor when I grew up. I was going to sail the world, or win the Whitbread cup, or do something equally exciting and adventurous. Instead,” his smile turned wry, “I found computers. And there went my plans to be the next Admiral Nelson. Or the next Thor Heyerdahl, for that matter.” 

 

Snape found his curiosity being roused, even against his will. “How did you discover computers?” he asked.

 

Sirius cast him a sideways look, the grey eyes agleam at having roused his companion’s interest. “My Ddd brought home one of the early PCs when I was a boy. He was an actuary; and something that ran a bit better than a normal adding machine was all for him. He’d always liked to try new things. He paid a fortune for it. So he wasn’t at all happy when he came into his study one day and found me playing about with it. I got a right hiding, I can tell you. But then he realized that whatever I’d done to it had actually improved its performance. He was fascinated by my ability to instinctively understand how machines worked." 

 

"From then on he let me play about with the succession of PCs that he brought home. He even let me take them apart to see how they worked, although he sweated more than a bit until I managed to put them back together again in proper working order. When I went to university, I wasn’t sure what career I wanted to focus on. I was bored by most of the courses of study. But then my brilliant dad suggested that I should concentrate on the thing I loved, i.e. computers, and make that my career. I’m thankful every day that he suggested that I take my hobby and make it my life’s work. It’s given me a freedom that most people don’t have. Plus,” he added with a crooked smile, “It lets me indulge my basic laziness. Although perhaps that’s not such a good thing,” he went on laughingly.

 

Snape snorted. “I’m sure it isn’t,” he replied primly. 

 

Sirius shook his head. “Perhaps not, but at least I’m carefree and spontaneous, unlike some people I know,” his eyes cut over to Snape’s bony face as he said this.

 

The other programmer lowered his ham on rye sandwich to frown at Sirius. “Just what are you implying, Black?” he said sharply. 

 

The tall man grinned as he leaned on the bench and folded his arms behind his neck. “Well, if the shoe fits, Severus…” 

 

“Are you trying to say that I’m not spontaneous or carefree?” Snape demanded, his black brows drawing down. 

 

“No. I’m trying to say that you wouldn’t even know what those words meant, let alone how to actually be those things,” Sirius said impishly. “Honestly, Severus, you’re the most uptight person I’ve met in ages. And do you know how a friend of mine described you? She said you were ‘sour’. Which is a sad but accurate assessment, I’m afraid. When’s the last time you just laughed? Or had fun? Or relaxed even a little bit? I bet you can’t even remember,” there was something like pity in his voice, a tone that Snape didn’t care for at all.

 

“For your information, Black, I can be as carefree and spontaneous as the next person,” Snape replied with a scowl. 

 

Sirius turned his head to meet the other programmer’s angry black eyes head on. “All right, prove it to me,” he said challengingly.

 

Snape looked faintly disconcerted by the intensity of his stare. “How?” he asked warily. 

 

One corner of Sirius’s sensual mouth twitched up, as a gleam started in the depths of those magnetic grey eyes that Snape REALLY didn’t like the look of. “Come dancing with me,” he said.

 

Silence. Then: “You must be mad,” Snape sniffed.

 

Sirius shrugged, turning back to look out over the Serpentine once more. “I knew you wouldn’t,” he said, shaking his head. “Tragic, really. But I suppose a person can’t change the way they are.” 

 

Snape could feel anger welling up in him at the implication that he was a coward. His lip lifted in a silent snarl as he glared at the handsome man draped on the bench next to him. “Very well,” he snapped.

 

Sirius’s head whipped back around, and the look he gave Snape was almost incredulous. “You mean you’ll actually go?” he asked in disbelief. 

 

Snape lifted his bony shoulders. “If it will stop you from nattering on and on, then yes,” he ground out, giving Sirius yet another black-eyed glare.

 

Undeterred by that look, Sirius began to grin widely. “Great! I can’t wait. How about tonight?” he suggested hopefully. 

 

Snape, he noted with an internal snicker, looked like he’d been sucking lemons at this suggestion. Sirius had managed to deftly back him into a corner, using both psychology and the ‘you’re chicken’ ploy that worked so well on other little boys in the play yard. He eyed the lanky body assessingly. “Do you have any clothes to go dancing in?” he asked.

 

Snape blinked. He looked bemused at this question. “I...don’t believe so,” he said doubtfully after a moment. 

 

Sirius shrugged. “Ahh, well. I guess we’ll have to be late getting back to work, then,” he said.

 

“What, why?!” Snape cried. “Because we’ll have to stop off and get you some clothes,” Sirius replied. “Don’t worry; I’ll cover it with the bosses. You won’t get in trouble,” he added.

 

He had to fight back another guffaw of laughter, for poor Snape looked pole-axed. His mouth was opening and shutting, as though he were a robot whose circuits had fried. Sirius was really enjoying himself now. It tickled him to throw Severus Snape so far off his stride. Just wait, he mused silently to himself, until they got into the shops. Or went dancing tonight, for that matter. He couldn’t remember having such a good time in ages. And...His eyes fastened suddenly on Snape’s mouth. It would be an even better time when he finally managed to talk the other programmer into snogging with him. He practically licked his own lips at this thought, and if Snape could have seen what was in his brain at that moment, he would have fled precipitously from Hyde Park...or thrown himself into the river to escape.

 

 

 

“Absolutely not,” the horror in Snape’s voice made Sirius bite his lip to contain his laughter. His eyes were dancing as he held up the pair of pants that he’d picked off the rack. 

 

“Oh, come on, Severus,” he wheedled. “These’ll look smashing on you. Do try them on,” he coaxed. 

 

The other programmer glared at him furiously, his bony shoulders rigid with outrage. “I will not! Those things are positively…obscene!” he said, glancing once again at the shocking pants that the tall man was holding in his hands. 

 

His expression was priceless. Sirius wondered how much longer he could keep it in, before he started rolling about on the floor of the shop. But if he gave in to his mirth right now, he’d never be able to talk the other man into trying on these pants. And he REALLY wanted to see Severus Snape in them. He lowered them with a sad sigh. “Fine. You’re such a party pooper, Severus. Honestly, no woman is going to even look at you while you’re wearing things like that,” he waved a hand at the plain white shirt and dark trousers that the other programmer was wearing at the moment, his ‘work uniform’. 

 

“Woman?” Snape repeated in bafflement. 

 

Sirius looked as innocent as a day old chick. “Of course. Nothing will loosen you up faster than finding someone to shag you,” he said cheekily. Snape’s head whipped around as he looked to see if there was anyone else in earshot.

 

“Do shut up, Black,” he hissed. “Someone might hear you!” 

 

Sirius snorted. “So what? Do you think that the salesgirl,” he nodded at a pretty blonde who was across the shop, hanging shirts on a rack, “Doesn’t think about it? In fact, show me a person who doesn’t think about sex all the time, and I’ll show you someone who’s not human. I bet even you do, Severus,” he went on, “Whether you’d like to admit it or not.” 

 

Snape glowered at him. But of course he thought about sex a lot – he was a man, after all. He’d read somewhere that the average male thought about something sexual every thirty seconds or so. And he’d proven over the years that where this was concerned, he was pretty much just like any other male. And while it thoroughly surprised him that Sirius Black was doing all this to set him up with a woman (and somewhere inside of him, it made him angry as well – he wasn’t sure why), shouldn’t he take the other man’s advice? Black might be into other guys, but something told Snape that he could pick and choose his lovers. Unlike himself, who hadn’t had a date with a woman in almost a year.

 

He sighed. “Give them here,” he said resignedly, holding out his hands. 

 

Sirius grinned as he handed over the pants. “And here,” he snagged a shirt off another rack and threw it over Snape’s arms. “Try on this as well. You’ll look incredible, I guarantee it.” 

 

Snape gave him one last cold look before he went off to the changing room. Sirius went back to digging in the racks, looking for even more sexy and outrageous clothes for Snape to try on. He was in seventh heaven. He got to pick out sexy outfits for the bloke he fancied, all the while assuring the poor sap that it was because he meant to set him up with a woman. As if, he thought with a mental snort. Severus Snape was HIS. Whether the other man knew it or not yet. But a little tactical misdirection never hurt, he mused as he picked up a silky-looking shirt in a silvery shade that he thought would look wonderful with Snape’s dark eyes and his skin tones.

 

When Snape ventured out of the changing room a little later on, he looked like he was struggling not to try to cover himself with his hands, like a scared virgin. He walked stiffly out to where Sirius was waiting on a bench, his hands balled into fists at his sides. He stared straight ahead, refusing to look at the other man. But he couldn’t escape the low wolf whistle that drifted from Sirius’s lips. “My God, Severus, you DO look smashing,” the grey-eyed man said wonderingly. 

 

And he did. Long slim legs were shown off by the pants, which were pleather and hugged every curve. They were a bit low rider, so they showed off the beginning of surprisingly fragile-looking hip bones. Sirius realized that he was drooling, and if Snape turned around he was sure that he’d pass out. His imagination was running wild at the thought of seeing the other man’s arse outlined in those fabulous pants. Snape had tucked the shirt that Sirius had given him into the pants to try to conceal how outrageous they were, but this didn’t work at all since the shirt itself was even more outrageous. 

 

It was gauzy, almost see-through, black with tiny silver highlights buried in the fabric. Most likely Snape wasn’t aware of just HOW see-through that fabric was; if he had been, he’d likely be kicking a certain annoying wanker’s arse right now. Sirius tried hard not to stare at the way the fabric outlined a pair of small nipples, and instead forced himself to look at the bony, scowling face instead. “Honestly, Black, you can’t mean for me to go out in public looking like this,” Snape said incredulously.

 

Sirius shook his head. “Of course not,” he replied cheerfully. When the other programmer started to relax, he grinned widely. “You can wear a coat over it until we get to the club,” he continued, making Snape tense up once more. “Ahh, come on, Severus,” he coaxed. “Just think off how the ladies will flock to you tonight. You’ll be a hit. Isn’t that what you want? To attract female attention?” he went on.

 

Of course that was what he wanted, Snape thought. But going anywhere dressed in this whorish outfit...“I’ll pay for it,” Sirius continued as he got up off the bench. “If you’ll wear it. Just this once, Severus, and then you can crawl back into your shell again. I promise.” 

 

Snape hesitated. But finally he shrugged stiffly. “Very well,” he muttered, trying not to notice the fact that he felt pleased over the way that Sirius’s eyes lit up at his acquiesance. “I’m changing out of these now,” he continued, hurrying back into the changing room to strip off the sexy clothing as though he were afraid that it would contaminate him. 

 

But Sirius didn’t care – he’d gotten what he wanted. He sat on the bench, feeling in charity with the whole world right now. This day just kept getting better and better. And now he had tonight to look forward to. He wouldn’t have felt any better if he’d just won the national lottery or the Whitbread cup instead of talking Severus Snape into going dancing with him, wearing a truly stunning outfit for his enjoyment. When Snape finally re-emerged, wearing his working clothes once again and gingerly carrying the pants and shirt over his arm, Sirius bounced up from his bench and grabbed the sexy clothing. “I’ll just pay for these,” he said, dashing off to the cash register.

 

Snape followed him more slowly, wondering just when and where he’d gone completely mental. He couldn’t believe that he was letting Sirius Black talk him into all of these things. It was as though the other man had hypnotized him or something. He seemed unable to say no to even the most outrageous proposals that Black made to him. All he could hope was that he did meet someone tonight, someone of the female persuasion that was. That would make all of this midsummer madness worth it. When Sirius had paid for the clothes, he handed Snape the bag. 

 

“Here we are,” he said cheerfully. “Now, one last stop before we go back to work.” 

 

Snape gave him a puzzled look. “What do you mean?” he asked suspiciously.

 

Sirius eyed the lank, greasy-looking locks of hair on Snape’s head. “I’m taking you to get a haircut,” he said firmly. “My treat.” 

 

Dark brows drew together. “What’s wrong with my hair?” Snape asked, anger glowing in his eyes once more. 

 

Sirius snorted. “Nothing, if you want to look like a prisoner who’s been in the Bastille for several years without soap, instead of the attractive bloke you are,” he said as he took a firm hold on Snape’s arm and began to drag him from the shop to the beauty salon a few doors down.

 

Snape was confused once more. He was outraged about Sirius’s Bastille comment, but at the same time he’d felt the weirdest sensation in the pit of his stomach when the other man had called him ‘attractive’…Dammit, just what had Sirius Black DONE to him? And how could he fix the problem before it became permanent?


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snape has a new look, and Sirius is preening for his big evening out.

“Whoa! Is that you, Sev?!” the programmer halted beside his cubicle, turning to look at his gaping co-worker. 

 

“Yes, it’s me. Who did you think it might be?” Snape asked in exasperation. 

 

The blonde shook his head. “Not you, surely. You look so different.” He was staring at Snape’s hair bemusedly. “You got a haircut,” he continued, which made the programmer sigh at such an obvious statement.

 

“That’s right. I thought about cutting off my head to change my looks, but this just seemed easier,” the cutting sarcasm in his voice didn’t affect Malfoy, as usual. The man was so irritating! 

 

“Well, it looks great,” Lucius said. “You almost look human, Sev.” 

 

“Thank you for the compliment,” Snape replied as he sat down in his chair and turned his back on his colleague. “I’ll cherish it forever.” 

 

“Where’s Black gone?” he heard Malfoy ask from behind him. He replied without turning his head. 

 

“Using his privilege as an overpaid consultant, he’s chosen to take the afternoon off.” 

 

“Ah. Must be nice” Malfoy replied.

 

“Yes,” Snape turned his computer on, ignoring the empty chair still sitting in his cubicle. It didn‘t matter to him in the least that Sirius had dropped him off at work, saying that he had some things to do before they went out clubbing tonight. He was just angry at what a slacker Black was, that was all. 

 

Unconsciously he reached up to touch his hair. The salon that Sirius had dragged him to had shampooed and conditioned his hair, and then the stylist had ruthlessly cut off most of it. It had no body, she’d said, and it didn’t frame his face well. She’d given him short bangs in the front, and had layered the remaining hair a bit. He could remember with clarity seeing himself in the mirror in the salon, and he’d felt like he was looking at a stranger. 

 

Black had been smiling behind him, and there had been enough of a look of triumphant smugness in that smile that he’d wanted to kick the other man heartily in the shins. Except…he knew that Black had been right to take him there. The new style flattered his face, making his prominent nose look less so, and his rather sallow skin seemed to have more color in it. The short bangs in front made his forehead look less wide. Looking at himself, he’d realized that he actually was a fairly attractive person. He knew that he’d let his hair grow long and lank in the last few years, not bothering to do anything with it, because he had been depressed about Lily. He’d known that he was losing her (not that he’d ever really had her) for some time, and it had thrown him into a funk that he never could seem to crawl out of. Why should he care about his appearance when the one woman he really wanted was falling for someone else? Why should he care about anything, really? It had been easier to live in his extended depression rather than go out and try to find someone else besides Lily.

 

Snape frowned a little to himself as his screen came up. Honestly, he wasn’t stupid. He knew that Sirius Black had manipulated him into going out dancing tonight, and also into wearing those outrageous clothes. But he’d chosen to go along with that manipulation deliberately, because he knew that he had to go out and meet people, to try to find someone he liked the look of. And while he knew very little about the dating scene and all that went with it, Sirius Black did. So he was going to use the other man, and let Black think that he’d won something. He might be gay, but Sirius Black had the kind of charm and charisma that attracted other people of both sexes. When they went out tonight, he’d be sure to bring eligible women to his side even though he wouldn’t be trying. Witness the way the Hogwart’s women had been fawning over him yesterday before they’d learned he was a poof. And once all of those women in the club learned that the tall, handsome man was a homosexual, they might be inclined to stay and talk to his straight companion. 

 

At least that was what he hoped would happen, anyway. He knew, of course, that Black fancied him for some reason. He had no clue why, but the truth was he found it rather flattering. Not that he’d ever admit that to Sirius himself, but he wasn’t used to having good-looking, eligible people of either sex looking at him like they were contemplating making him their next meal. Not that that meant that he was going to throw himself into another man’s arms, but it was still nice to be wanted… 

 

He moved uneasily in his chair as he tried to thrust the images that ran through his brain from several of the dreams he’d had last night. All that he could think was that he’d been too long without any kind of sex that was why he’d dreamed about Black. After all, the man was handsome and sexy. As he’d noted himself, people of both sexes seemed to be attracted to Sirius Black. He was probably just reacting to the aura that the man put off, that was all. It didn’t mean anything. After all, he’d never been attracted to other men before. Not even at school, or at university which was the time that young men tended to experiment. This thing with Black was a fluke, nothing more. And once he met a woman that he found attractive, no doubt it would fade entirely. 

 

Having reassured himself, Snape bent over his keyboard and pulled up his latest project. Since Black wasn’t here, he wasn’t going to devote his afternoon to trying to find out who’d stolen the funds from the R&D project. That was Sirius’s baby. While he was perfectly willing to help, he had his normal work to do as well. And that was what he was going to concentrate on now. He was soon engrossed in what he was doing, and all extraneous thoughts faded for him. Tonight could take care of itself. Severus Snape was deep in that ‘no mind’ that computer programmers shared with master swordsmen, and the afternoon would fly away for him.

 

 

Sirius spent some time in the afternoon working out. He hated public gyms, so he’d turned the empty bedroom in his flat into a private one. He lifted weights, although not obsessively since he didn’t want those over-swollen muscles that men who only worked on their upper bodies got. The ones that made it hard for weightlifters to lower their arms after awhile. And he used his punching bag. He’d studied kickboxing, because he found it both a good work-out and a good method to defend himself if necessary. And as a homosexual, being able to defend yourself in some of the lower parts of London was definitely a necessity. He worked up a sweat, getting his heart rate up. He’d need to be loose and limber when he took Snape dancing tonight. He wanted to show off his best moves to the other programmer

 

. He stopped to drink some water, wiping at his forehead. Only a few more hours, and he’d get to see Snape in those fabulous clothes again. And the thought of those, along with the new hairstyle that actually flattered the pleasantly bony face…he felt a surge of lust. He was getting a hard on, which made him glad that he was wearing loose sweat pants. He decided to cut his work-out a bit short today and go take a shower. Probably he should be taking a cold one, he thought wryly as he padded out of his gym and headed for the washroom down the hall. But he was far too pleasure-loving to torture himself that way. He’d just wank off in the shower, which would take care of the problem for a short time.

 

Although not for long, since he was going to go pick up Snape after work in a few hours. Having the other man sitting behind him on his bike, with that long lanky body pressed close to his, was very hard on him. Not that he was going to forego the pleasure just because it made him uncomfortable. That kind of masochism he was all for. 

 

Sirius could admit to himself that he was preening even more than normal as he stood in front of the mirror a little later on. There was nothing wrong with wanting to look good for a bloke he fancied, was there? He wore only a towel around his waist, and his long hair was still damp. He liked to let it dry naturally. Hair dryers tended to make it go all frizzy, a ridiculous look on a grown man. He’d shaved, and was now applying his favorite cologne. It was just a bit musky, and he liked to think that it made him smell like sex walking. He wondered if Severus would like it. He shook his head at this thought. He was as nervous as a schoolgirl going to her first dance with a boy she liked. But he supposed that every person felt this way when they met someone who was…dared he think it? The one?

 

He wasn’t totally sure about that yet, but he did know that he felt something for Severus Snape that he’d never felt for anyone else. There had been some instantaneous reaction between them when he first caught those disapproving black eyes yesterday. Almost a feeling of recognition…or at least that’s how he’d felt, anyway. He had no idea what Snape had felt. Hopefully he’d be able to find that out soon. He grinned at himself as he ran a hand through his still wet hair. He felt like a giddy school boy, and as young and eager as one as well. 

 

He studied his own chest, wondering what Snape would think of the nipple ring or the tattoos. In honor of the nickname he’d earned, he’d had a coal-black dog tattooed on the upper right hand side of his chest. A pair of sulfurous eyes glared out of its face, and its mouth was open in a snarl. A hawk flew on his left arm, and a stylized sunburst ringed his navel. There was another tattoo on his lower back, a stylized Egyptian falcon with its wings spread wide. He considered whether he should replace the silver ring in his ear with something a little more elaborate tonight. Or maybe he should just go for a stud. He’d decide that after he chose the clothes he was going to wear to go partying tonight. 

 

He went into his bedroom. He was honest enough to know that he was vain, and he’d leased a flat with a lot of closet space. He was a major clothes horse. He opened the folding doors and entered the walk in closet, turning on the light so that he could meditate over what he should wear. He wanted to look as good as possible, as sexy and attractive. He wanted to draw every eye, but most especially a pair of low lidded black ones like ebony chips. Part of his plan for tonight was to see if he could possibly make Severus Snape jealous. He intended to flirt with other men, and to dance with them as well. He’s leave Snape alone, or even introduce him to eligible women. Not that he wanted the other programmer to take up with any of those women, but he didn’t want to seem too eager or pushy. He didn’t want to scare Snape away.

 

It wasn’t easy trying to woo a heterosexual, he thought with a sigh as he went methodically through the clothes in the closet. But in his opinion, it was definitely worth it. He finally chose a pair of dark-grey suede pants that laced up the sides with silver cords, since they were skin-tight and showed off his physique. With these he decided on a black leather belt with silver studs on it, a black silk shirt with gauzy panels down the front and sides, and knee-high leather boots. He took this outfit out into the bedroom proper and tried it on, standing in front of the full-length mirror to see how it looked on him. 

 

He decided that it would work. He turned this way and that. Hot. Definitely hot. And a good compliment to his companion for the night. There would be no better-looking couple there. Even if they weren’t really a couple yet. Yet. He put on motorcycle leathers over his party clothes before he went to pick Snape up at work, so that the other man could get ready. He didn’t want his fellow programmer to be able to see his outfit just yet. In the end, he decided that a simple diamond stud went best with it, and he took the silver ring out of his ear and replaced it. Then he went out the door, anticipation running through his veins.He hummed a song under his breath as he straddled his bike. He was definitely ready to dance. 

 

 

“Hey, Sev,” a voice over his head made Snape blink as he came out of his programming trance. He looked up at Malfoy, who was draped over the door of his cubicle.

 

“What?” he asked, feeling stiff and a little surly to be pulled out of his working mental state. Malfoy held up his arm to display his wristwatch. “It's that time again,” he said in amusement. “You know, quitting time? Time to knock off? Ring any bells?”

 

Snape looked at the clock on his computer, seeing that Malfoy was right. “Oh,” he said shortly.

 

“Are you doing anything tonight?” Malfoy asked curiously. He asked this almost every working day, and Snape almost invariably answered ‘no’ shortly.

 

But today he said: “Yes,” as he turned off his PC.

 

There was a shocked silence behind him. “You are?” Malfoy said after a moment. “What?” 

 

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m going to a club with Black,” Snape said coldly. 

 

More silence, this of the ‘hit in the head with a tack hammer’ variety. “No way,” Lucius blurted. “You’re having me on, aren’t you? You don’t even like him!"

 

“No, I can’t say that I do,” Snape agreed as he turned off his monitor and swung his chair around preparatory to getting to his feet. “But he asked me to go with him, and I thought it might be a good way to meet people.”

 

Malfoy eyed him. “By ‘people’, do you mean women or men?” he asked.

 

Snape’s black brows drew down. “Again not that it’s any of your business, but women actually.”

 

“Hmm. Well, I mean, what was I supposed to think? Black is gay, after all. And you’ve never gone out clubbing with anyone else.” 

 

“I frankly don’t care what you think,” Snape bent over to pick up the bag that contained his new party clothes. “Good night, Malfoy,” he said arctically as he brushed past the other programmer, headed for the coatroom. 

 

He walked out of the building, seeing a tall man in leather leaning against the side of a gleaming black-and-chrome motorcycle, waiting for him. “Evening, Severus,” Black said cheerfully, once more studying Snape’s face to see the changes wrought in it by the new hairstyle.

 

“Good evening,” Snape said. He looked with loathing at that infernal motorcycle, wishing desperately that he had a car of his own. Sirius saw his expression, and chuckled softly. 

 

“There’s no hope, Severus,” he said. “We can’t very well walk where we want to go. You’ll just have to put up with her.”

 

Snape made a movement with his shoulders as he walked toward the bike. “Let’s just get this over with,” he said in resignation, and Sirius wondered if he were talking about the motorcycle ride or the entire evening. He climbed onto his bike, and Snape got on behind him stiffly. He felt fingers clutching tightly at the front of his jacket as he roared out of the Hogwarts parking lot, and he grinned. This evening was already starting out well, at least for him. And it could only get better as it went along…


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are on the move...and I don't just mean the dancing..

Severus Snape stood at the bar of the club that Black had dragged him to, sipping at a tumbler full of whiskey and wincing at the noise level. That, and the flashing lights on the dance floor were rapidly giving him a headache. Whatever had possessed him to agree to come to such a place? He had definitely been mad when he’d let Sirius Black talk him into this. He wondered if he could come up with a good enough reason to talk Black into taking him home. Probably not; the wanker was clearly having a good time himself. The tall man was leaning on the chrome bar next to him, drinking a shot of tequila as he stared off across the full dance floor. From the way his foot was tapping, he’d soon be going out there himself.

 

He had to admit silently to himself that Sirius Black looked very good in the clothes he was wearing. The pants hugged his legs, and the shirt showed off a muscular chest. He looked like a panther lounging against the bar lazily, keeping an eye out for tasty prey. This analogy caused a scowl to run over Snape’s face for some reason. He glowered down at his drink. He was not jealous, dammit! Sirius Black was nothing to him. He was here to find a woman, for God’s sake. He’d better set about doing just that.

 

He set his drink on the bar and peered around the rather dark and smoky club, studying the eligible-looking women in the place. Sirius glanced sideways at his companion. He thought that Snape looked even more attractive in this setting than he had at the store trying on those clothes. Greedily he let his eyes run over the lanky form, checking out the way the leather pants fit like a second skin. He tried not to stare too hard at his companion’s arse, but it wasn’t easy. The way it was cupped in those pants made him long to do the same. His fingers itched, and he had to concentrate on his drink lest he do something extremely stupid.

 

He gulped down the tequila and gestured for the bar man to refill his glass. When he turned around again, he noticed that Snape was staring across the club. He followed the other man’s black eyes, and saw the programmer was staring at a pretty blonde woman sitting at a table near the dance floor. He felt a surge of jealousy, and his mouth tightened. He fought it down; technically he’d brought Snape here tonight to meet women. He’d have to stick to that excuse, no matter how little he liked it.

 

He leaned over and spoke softly in Snape’s ear, making the other man jump a little. “She’s pretty. You should go and talk to her, Severus.” 

 

A black-eyed glare was his response to this suggestion. He shrugged. “Isn’t that what you came here for? Come on, Severus, have some confidence in yourself. You’re a good-looking guy, you have a great job, I’m sure you’d be an interesting conversationalist of you talked much…” he smirked as he got in this gentle gibe. “I’m sure that she’d be happy to talk to you.”

 

Snape’s bony shoulders tensed. “If you like,” Sirius continued in an evil tone of voice, “I could go over there and talk to her for you. I’ll tell her that my friend over at the bar fancies her.”

 

Snape’s head whipped around. “You will do no such thing!” he hissed furiously. 

 

Sirius grinned. “I will if you don’t go over yourself” he replied. Snape was trying to bore a hole in his skull with those black eyes, Sirius thought in amusement. But since he refused it be the least bit intimidated or cowed, the other programmer finally snarled and walked away without saying anther word. Sirius chuckled as he watched Snape march up to the table and speak to the blonde woman. He figured that Snape’s anti-social attitude would put her off, but he was wrong. After a moment, the woman nodded and got up from her seat. She and Snape walked back to the bar, the programmer giving Sirius a triumphant look as they approached. 

 

“Sirius Black, meet Melinda Cartwright,” Snape said. Somehow Sirius managed to conjure up a pleasant smile for her, when all he really wanted to do was smash her face in with his glass.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Cartwright,” he said insincerely, baring his teeth a little. 

 

“Likewise,” the woman replied, seeming not to see the loathing in the grey eyes do the handsome man leaning against the bar. “I must say, I’m pleasantly surprised. I was just going to give up and go home when Sev here asked me to have a drink with him. I was beginning to think that there weren’t any eligible men left in England – not any good ones, anyway. Creeps and weirdos, yes. There are plenty of those around. But not a gentleman like Sev,” she smiled at the programmer, and Sirius’s teeth gritted tightly together. 

 

“Yes, SEV is one in a million,” he agreed, making Snape glower at him for using the forbidden contraction of his first name. But right at this moment, a seething Sirius Black just didn’t care anymore. “But if you’ll both excuse me,” he said coldly, “I’m going off to hunt for a good man of my own. And I see one right now,” he walked away toward a good looking bloke standing nearby, and one who was giving off the right signals. He was furious that his plan seemed to be backfiring, and he intended to flirt like mad with every gay man in the place. And some of straight ones maybe, as well. 

 

He introduced himself, smiling and turning on the charm, and the other man introduced himself readily as Derek and invited him out on the floor. Sirius took up this invitation, needing to do something besides glare at that blonde bitch that’d latched her claws into HIS Severus Snape. 

 

Back at the bar, Snape frowned as Sirius stalked off to talk to a handsome man further down the bar. But his new companion touched him on the arm, drawing his attention back to her. He turned to Melinda and began to make small talk with her as they sipped their drinks. At any other time he might have been enjoying himself, but for some reason he felt restless and out of sorts. His attention kept wandering from the pretty lady he was chatting with, to a certain tall, devilishly-sexy wanker. He had to force himself not to turn around and look to see what Black was doing. That wasn’t any of his concern anyway. He was at this club to meet interesting women, not to bother himself with Sirius Black.

 

But finally he could take it no more. He positioned himself so that he could look down the bar as though he were doing it idly, but the place where Sirius and the good looking man had been standing talking was now being filled by a young couple. Abandoning subtly, he swiveled around to search for a certain tall form. He finally spotted it on the dance floor. Sirius and the other man were moving together, their bodies practically pressed together, their eyes locked. They swayed sensually, and Sirius was smiling in a low-lidded manner at his dancing companion. They were almost grinding their groins together, and as he watched Sirius publicly groped the other man. But his dance partner only smiled as Black cupped his arse, and swayed even closer to the tall man. They’d be making out right there on the floor at any second. 

 

Rage flooded him. He was trembling with the force of will it took not to stride onto the dance floor and hit that handsome stranger letting Sirius Black feel him up, or maybe Black himself. His hands balled into fists at his sides, and he barely heard Melinda saying: “What’s the matter, Sev? Are you okay?”

 

No, he was not okay. He was going mad. He was consumed with jealousy because a man he didn’t even like was dancing with another man out of the floor. He wasn’t into men, and Black was the most annoying wanker ever, but neither of those things helped at all. He was bewildered by what seemed to be happening to him, but he couldn’t seem to halt the progress of the changes taking place within him. A low sound, almost a growl, trickled from his lips. He couldn’t watch this for much longer before he stalked over and broke the two men apart. His control was slipping away as a deep, terrible anger roiled away inside of him. 

 

“Sev,” a hand touched his arm again. 

 

Somehow he managed to turn to look at Melinda, moving stiffly. His mouth was a thin slash. She looked at his face, and then out at the dance floor. She sighed. “Why are all the good ones poofs?” She demanded in disgust.

 

He roused out of his anger enough to answer her. “I’m not a poof,” he ground out. 

 

She lifted dark brows. “Oh, really? Is that so? Why are you staring at your ‘friend’ over there, then? The one dancing with that other bloke? And looking like you want to rip somebody’s throat out? I know jealousy when I see it.”

 

He took in a sharp breath at her perceptiveness. Then he laughed harshly. "I assure you, I’ve never been interested in men before,” he said rather tiredly.

 

She glanced over at the dance floor. “There’s a first time for everything,” she pointed out, sounding resigned. “And I have to admit,” she went on, studying Sirius closely, “That he’s very good-looking. I can see the attraction. Does he like you too?” she questioned. 

 

Snape shrugged slightly. “I believe so. He hasn’t said anything, but then he knows that I’m straight.” 

 

“Not so straight any more,” Melinda remarked shrewdly. “If you want him, Sev, you should go and get him. Before somebody else jumps on him. That one, for example,” she nodded at the man dancing with Sirius. “He looks as though he’d like to drag your friend off somewhere more private anytime soon.” 

 

Snape stared at her silently. Then he turned to look at the two men once again, seeing the expression on the face of the man dancing with Sirius. He had rather the look of a cat that had just swallowed a canary, clearly feeling smug to have snagged the attention of such a good-looking, sexy man. Snape’s dislike of him rose even higher. 

 

But still he hesitated. His entire life, ever since puberty, he’d only looked at and fancied girls. This change was too strange and sudden for him to be able to cope with. He knew that if he said and did nothing, his life would continue on as it always had. Sirius Black would get over whatever infatuation he had with Snape, and would go on to other men. And he could try to find a woman who attracted him, either here or somewhere else. He would be taking the safe, easy path. But he’d never been a coward. He knew that he could be surly, anti-social, bitingly sarcastic, and even sour. But he’d never let fear get in his way when he wanted something. To do so now rubbed against his very grain.

 

He looked at Sirius Black, really looked at him, at the tall handsome man in the sexy clothing gyrating on the dance floor with another bloke. He thought about all the things that irritated him about Black. His smugness, his air of superiority, his habit of tormenting Snape for his own amusement...But there were things he liked about Black as well – his cheerfulness, sense of humor(most of the time) his intelligence and complete confidence in himself. He realized that he wanted to get to know Sirius better. 

 

Much to his disconcertion, he knew that he wanted to get to know Sirius Black better in all ways. And that included sexually. He broke out in a cold sweat at this thought. He didn’t want to be gay. He didn’t want to be attracted to another man. But his wishes on the subject didn’t seem to matter at all. Because there were other parts of him that were superseding his brain, and making demands he might not like but couldn’t seem to escape. He sighed, feeling pulled in many directions.

 

Melinda took pity on him, gently patting his arm. “Look at it this way, Sev,” she said. “If it makes you happy to be with another bloke, why not do it? It’s better than being miserable and alone. As I should know,” she added with a sigh of her own.

 

He looked at her sincere face, taking in her words. Then he nodded. “Thank you,” he said, kissing her on the cheek.

 

She smiled ruefully at him. “It’s really not fair,” she commented wryly. “But such is life. Now go and get him, tiger,” she urged, making shooing motions toward the dance floor.

 

He moved, walking toward the dance floor slowly. Butterflies were fluttering in his stomach by the thousands, and his gut clenched as he began to push his way between the people on the dance floor. He set his black eyes on his target, never looking away from the tall figure as though Sirius Black were his salvation. His grim determination paid off at last, and he reached the couple still swaying together. He set his hand on Sirius’s arm, startling the other man. He came to a halt, turning to look at Snape with surprise written on his face. 

 

“Black!” he said loudly to be heard over the music. “I want to talk to you.” 

 

Sirius’s brows lifted. “I’m pretty busy here, Severus,” he replied coolly. He waved at his companion, who was staring suspiciously at Snape.

 

Snape’s lips thinned. “I can see that,” he growled. “But if you won’t talk to me now, I’ll be leaving,” he made as though to go, but a strong hand closed over his arm.

 

“No. I’ll talk to you,” Sirius said. He looked at his dance partner, who was glowering at Snape. “I’m sorry, Derek,” he said apologetically, “But my friend really needs to speak with me.”

 

The man called Derek sniffed loudly. “Don’t let me stop you,” he snarled, before stalking off the dance floor without a backward glance. Sirius stared after him with a rueful expression on his handsome face. He turned back to Snape, who had a strange look on his face. 

 

“Let’s go somewhere a little more quiet,” he nearly yelled, towing his fellow programmer off the floor and toward the door of the club. He needed some fresh air anyway. Or as fresh as London air got. He opened the door and drew Snape out onto the sidewalk outside. He turned to look at the black eyed man curiously. “So what did you want to talk to me about, Severus?” he asked curiously. 

 

Snape hesitated, his shoulders tensing a bit. His eyelids had fallen over those ebony eyes, hiding what he was thinking from Sirius. Finally he roused himself and began stonily: “I know I’m going to regret saying this thoroughly, Black. But the truth is…” he trailed off, taking deep breaths as Sirius stared at him in puzzlement. Then his lids lifted, and he met Sirius’s grey eyes squarely. “I didn’t like watching you go out onto the floor with that other fellow.” He said tightly. “I was…” his hands balled into fists at his sides. “Jealous,” he spat, making this confession with clear reluctance.

 

Sirius gaped at him. While he was awfully glad that his plan to make Severus Snape jealous had worked so well, he was astonished that the other programmer was actually admitting to such an emotion. Especially about another man. Wonder and awe rose up in him, along with a hefty dollop of joy. He began to walk toward Snape, who was standing stiffly in front of him without looking at him. “I’m really glad to hear that,” he purred, his voice going lower as he let the desire he was feeling show clearly. “Because I was totally jealous, too. I hated that woman Melinda on sight. I don’t want anyone else to ever touch or look at you but me, Severus. Never again.” 

 

Snape glanced up at him, startled in turn, and gasped when he realized how close that Sirius had gotten to him. He started to take a step back, but two hands closed over his upper arms and began to pull him relentlessly forward. He might have struggled, but he was mesmerized by the look in Sirius Black’s grey eyes. The desire he saw there, along with another emotion, made his heart beat faster and his breath begin to hitch in and out of his chest. He instinctively opened his mouth to protest, but Sirius laughed softly and took the opportunity to bend his head and do what he’d wanted to do ever since he’d first seen the other man in the lobby of the Hogwarts building yesterday. Sirius Black kissed Severus Snape right there in public, and it was a toss up which of them was more astonished by the intensity of the experience.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severus and Sirius are growing closer.

Snape moaned into the kiss, all rational thought fled. Sirius’s tongue had glided into his mouth, and was stroking over his in a way that was totally blowing his mind. Somehow his arms had found their way around the other man’s shoulders, and were gripping at the shirt that Black was wearing tightly. Sirius’s hands were making caressing circles at his waist, until one moved around to cup Snape’s arse. It cradled the cheeks through the leather pants, and then squeezed lightly.

 

Having his arse groped brought Snape back to reality. He was being kissed by another man! He broke the kiss abruptly, stepping back so quickly that he nearly staggered. He panted a little as Sirius gave his a puzzled look. “Sev? What’s wrong?” he asked. 

 

Snape found his voice. “I don’t believe that I told you that you could grab my arse, Black,” he said hoarsely.

 

Grey eyes blinked, and then Sirius laughed a little. “Oh,” he said. “Sorry about that. But I got carried away, what can I say? Kissing you is like drinking Everclear, Sev. It goes straight to my head – both of them, actually,” he continued wryly, making Snape scowl at him for such crudity. “But are you telling me you didn’t like the rest of it?” Black went on. “Because I won’t believe you. I could feel very well that you were enjoying it,” he winked salaciously at the other man, making Snape shake his head. 

 

“You are totally incorrigible, Black,” he said in exasperation. 

 

A shrug. “I know,” the other programmer replied easily. “So where do we go from here?” he asked next, looking keenly at Snape. 

 

Severus hesitated, totally unsure himself where he actually wanted to go with this…whatever it was. “I’m not…ready to actually sleep with you, Black,” he said tightly after a moment. 

 

Sirius nodded. “Understood. You’ve never been with another bloke before, after all. To jump into bed with one you only met yesterday…How about dating, then?” he asked. “We could get to know each other better. What do you say?”

 

Snape was taken by surprise. He’d have thought that the other man would be trying to charm him into bed. But instead Black was proposing that they date one another. He nodded. “That would be better, Black, thank you.” He said.

 

Sirius laughed a little. “Okay, now that that’s settled, can we go back inside and dance? I can’t wait to see your moves, Sev,” he said with a carefully manufactured leer. 

 

Snape found himself smiling a bit, in spite of himself. He allowed Sirius to grab his hand and drag him back into the dance club. On the floor, Snape was very nervous. He didn’t dance, and to be surrounded by all of these people…But Sirius instantly saw how on edge he was, and smiled reassuringly as he set his hands at Snape’s waist. The other man seemed to feel the heat of those hands right through the flimsy shirt. “Just do what I do, Sev,” Black called over the music, and began to move his body. 

 

Snape wasn’t at all sure that he wanted to copy Sirius Black’s movements. Many of them were quite obscene. Finally, reluctantly, he began to move himself. He couldn’t just stand there like a lump all night, after all. He found to his surprise that he could follow most of what his partner did, and his hips began to sway naturally. Sirius’s grey eyes gleamed with approval and a hotter emotion that made the tight leather pants extremely uncomfortable at the crotch. This simulation of the sex act, Snape thought breathlessly as he danced, should be bloody well illegal. And as Sirius gyrated toward him with his own lean hips, encouraging Snape to unbend and really move, he gave himself up uninhibitedly to the music. And for awhile he was utterly free of all constraints and social mores. All he knew was the music pounding in his head, and the tall body of the sensual man moving in rhythm with his own.

 

 

When they finally left the club it was almost two in the morning. Snape was exhausted, stumbling a little with weariness. Sirius held him up a bit, still looking as energetic as ever. The programmer envied him. He blinked sleepy black eyes at the taller man, which made Sirius smile as he stroked Snape’s cheek with a thumb. “I’d better take you home,” he said. “Good thing it’s a Friday, or you’d be dead on your feet at work tomorrow.”

 

For once he wasn’t terrified of the motorcycle ride, since he was so tired. Snape rested his helmeted head against the back of the man driving the bike, closing his eyes as he held onto Sirius’s waist. He’d had a surprisingly good time tonight he mused tiredly. He still found it a little hard to believe that he was actually going to date the wanker – especially since said wanker happened to be another man. But somehow it felt right, despite any apprehensions he might have. He was feeling amazingly peaceful about the whole thing. 

 

They pulled up in front of his building. He got slowly off the bike, taking off the helmet. Sirius started to say good night to him, but he held up a hand. The taller man gave him a surprised, enquiring look. “Black,” he said slowly, “Would you…like to come up and have some tea?” he couldn’t quite believe he was saying this, but he didn’t try to take the invitation back.

 

Sirius studied his face, and then nodded. “Sure, I’d like to see your flat, Sev,” he said as he got off the bike. 

 

“It’s not that interesting,” Snape replied as he led the way into the entry hall. 

 

“Some people would say that about you too, Sev, but I don’t think so,” Sirius remarked from behind him. “I find you quite fascinating.”

 

Snape turned to look over his shoulder at the taller man. He frowned a bit. “Why?” he asked. 

 

Sirius shrugged. “I’ve no idea,” he answered truthfully. “I just do.” 

 

Snape looked at him for a moment longer, then turned and led the way up the set of stairs to the first floor landing. This house was a converted Victorian, so Snape’s flat had once been two bedrooms and a box room. He pulled the key out of his pocket, fumbling a little tiredly. Sirius waited patiently as he opened the dark-green painted door. He walked into the entryway and through the archway into the small sitting room. Sirius was at his heels, looking about curiously. He saw a comfortable grey couch, a battered leather armchair, and a state-of-the art telly on a stand across the room. He wasn’t surprised that Severus would have all of the gadgets he could get his hands on. Sirius was the same way.

 

:Early adapters: he thought with an internal smile.

 

“Please sit down,” Snape said, indicating the couch. Sirius did as directed, sprawling his big body down on the cozy couch and stretching his legs out in front of him. He was feeling pleasantly relaxed and tired himself after the dancing. He couldn’t believe how well this evening had gone. He had dates with Severus Snape to look forward to, and he’d actually gotten to snog the other man! That had been the best part of the evening. He could still remember the taste of that sweet mouth. It left him licking his lips at the thought of getting to kiss it again in future. 

 

In the kitchen Snape set the pot on to boil. He looked up, and felt a sort of chill when he realized that Sirius was sitting on his couch in almost the exact position that he’d imagined the man yesterday. Hurriedly he turned back to the tea pot, concentrating on what he was doing. Although feeling cozily domestic with Sirius Black didn’t seem as frightening right now as it had when he’d had that vision yesterday. Odd how quickly things could change. Yesterday he’d loathed the man currently sitting on his couch. And today…he wasn’t sure how he felt about Sirius Black right now. But whatever it was, it wasn’t hate.

 

He carried the pot and some cups into the sitting room when the tea was ready. Sirius looked up at him alertly, smiling a bit. Snape felt a peculiar warmth in the pit of his stomach at having someone look so happy just to see him. He wasn’t at all used to that kind of thing. He set the tray on the coffee table, then sat down on the couch next to Sirius. He didn’t try to scooch down to the end this time, although he wasn’t snuggled up to the other man, either. It was a good compromise, and Sirius didn’t protest at all. He watched as Snape poured the tea into the china that had belonged to his mother. He handed one to Black, who thanked him as he took the delicate cup from him with long, capable looking fingers.

 

“So where would you like to go on our first date, Sev?” he asked as he sipped the hot liquid. “It’s your turn to say. We can go anywhere you like.” 

 

Snape considered this. “Well, there’s a production of Swan Lake at the Royal Theatre right now,” he said.

 

Sirius’s brows shot up. “Ballet?!” he exclaimed. “I would never have pegged you as a lover of the arts, Sev.” 

 

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Black,” the other programmer pointed out acerbically. 

 

“Too true. And this is what the whole dating thing is about – so that we can get to know each other. All right, the ballet it is. Shall I wear a tux?”

 

Snape felt his breath catch at the image of Sirius Black in a tuxedo. Seeing his expression, the other man chuckled. “A tux it is,” he purred. “But I’ll only wear one if you do, Sev. That’s only fair.”

 

Snape nodded. “Very well. How about tomorrow night? If we can get tickets.”

 

“I can,” Sirius replied confidently.

Sirius left as soon as he finished his tea, for Snape was falling asleep on the couch. He merely said good night, not trying to kiss the other man again so soon after the last one. He went out the door and down the steps to his bike humming a happy tune under his breath. He thought to himself that he'd have to acquire tickets for the Royal Ballet. He straddled his bike, pausing to look up at the light burning in a certain window. He smiled as widely and exuberantly as a young boy. “Sleep well, my Sev,” he murmured, before he put in his helmet and roared off into the night. 

 

 

 

Snape sat in the velvety seat, trying to pay attention to what was going on on the stage. But it wasn’t easy; his black eyes kept straying to the man sitting next to him. Sirius was stunning in a tuxedo. The stark black-and-white suited his lightly-bronzed skin. He was wearing an onyx stud in one ear, to go along with the tux. He’d shown Severus his cuff links, which were tiny computers done in silver. He’d rolled his eyes when Black showed them to him, but he also couldn’t help but smile. The man was so like a little boy – a sexy, rather dangerous little boy, that was. 

 

He didn’t think that he looked half as good in the formal dress, although Sirius had certainly given him an appreciative glad eye when he’d come to pick Snape up at his flat. He still had no idea why someone fabulous like Sirius Black was so interested in him, but he had decided to just go with the flow for now. Sirius seemed intent on what was going on the stage. While he’d made a few jokes about ballet, he genuinely seemed interested in the story being told through dance. Or was he checking out the male dancers? Snape saw him gazing at one of them, a man with a wonderfully muscular body draped in form-fitting tights and a miniscule silk tunic. The dancer pirouetted, showing off those strong limbs and a magnificent arse.

 

Snape scowled, feeling jealousy surge up within him once more. How dared his date ogle the dancers! The dark look he gave Sirius caught the other man’s attention. He looked away from the stage at last, giving Snape a quizzical look. But the programmer refused to say anything, crossing his arms over his chest and transferring his scowl to the stage. Sirius’s brows lifted. What had put his date in such a bad mood? That look should have peeled several layers of skin off of him. He thought about what he’d been doing, and realized that Snape must have seen him staring at that male dancer. The green-eyed monster had raised its head again.

 

He grinned to himself. The truth was, he hadn’t been checking that dancer out at all. The man was good-looking, muscular, graceful. But the only reason that Sirius had been gazing at him so intently because he was imagining Severus dressed in those form-fitting tights. That vision made him lick his lips. He thought that Severus Snape had very nice legs, and those tights would show them off to advantage. He chuckled, leaning over to speak into his date’s ear. “Sev,” he said throatily. Snape ignored him, but he continued speaking anyway. “I was just thinking. I’d love to see you in a pair of those tights. Would you wear them for me?” 

 

He heard a sharp in take of breath, then he got another blast of ebony. But this look was a lot warmer than the last one had been. “You are an idiot, Black,” growled the other programmer disdainfully. But he didn’t move away when one of Sirius’s hands settled on his shoulder and stroked over the fabric tenderly.

 

 

Snape walked into work on Monday, making purposefully for his cubicle. There was a bit of a bounce to his step, and he was almost smiling. Sunday he and Sirius had gone to a concert in the park as their second date. He’d had a very good time, not that he was going to admit that to the wanker. The man was vain and egotistical enough already. He didn’t need Snape to stroke his vanity. 

 

He sat down in his chair, and had just turned his PC on when that familiar snide voice spoke over his shoulder. “Hey, Sev! How did the clubbing go Friday? Meet any pretty birds?” 

 

Snape ground his teeth together, his good mood dissipating. “As a matter of fact,” he replied coldly to Malfoy’s question, “I did.”

 

High, sniggering laughter. “I don’t mean the coat-check girls, Sev,” Malfoy gibed. 

 

Snape’s fingers bit into the plastic of his keyboard as he struggled not to choke his fellow programmer to death with his mouse cord. “They definitely weren’t coat-check girls,” another voice said, and Snape turned to see Sirius walking toward them. “I was there, I know. One was a gorgeous blonde, and the other was a brunette…” he winked audaciously at Severus as he said this, making the other programmer roll his eyes a little.

 

“Oh?” Malfoy said, turning to look at Black. “Seriously? And did Sev hook up with either of them?”

 

“The second one,” Sirius replied promptly. “Was quite taken with him. I think it might become quite serious.” He strolled into the cubicle and threw himself down into his chair, ignoring the awful look that Snape was turning on him. 

 

“Really. Well, that’s good news for you then,” Malfoy said to Snape. 

 

“I’m not sure about that,” Snape relied. “This relationship might not pan out. It’s not easy dating an idiot,” he continued, seeing the exaggerated wince that Sirius gave out of the corner of his eye.

 

“Ouch. What a way to talk about your girlfriend, Sev,” the blonde remarked from behind him.

 

“Yes, he’d pretty heartless,” Sirius agreed. “But he has a fine arse," he went on very, very softly as Malfoy left to go to his own cubicle.

 

“Yes, and I have more brains in it than you do in that thick skull, Black,” Snape drawled. 

 

To his surprise, Sirius burst into laughter at this insult. When he glanced sideways, he saw that the grey eyes were twinkling with merriment. “You’re adorable, you know that?” Sirius whispered.

 

Snape scowled half-heartedly at him, then turned back to his computer. He chose to ignore the hand that came to rest on his knee, rubbing provoking circles over the fabric of his trousers, but it wasn’t easy. Not easy at all.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius gets some lovely dessert after dinner...

“Hey, Sev. Where do you want to go to eat tonight?” Snape heard Sirius ask as they started to exit the Hogwarts building. 

 

They’d spent the day splitting their time between Snape’s normal work and the investigation into the stolen funds. The programmer had been amazed how well he and Black worked together – at everything. It was as though they were a well-oiled team, as though they’d known each other for years instead of less than a week. Although they hadn’t yet discovered the identities of those who’d stolen over 3 million pounds from Hogwarts, he was confident that they would eventually do so. 

 

He halted in his tracks and looked at the tall, handsome wanker walking behind him. Snape frowned a bit at the other man. “Black, I’m tired,” he sighed. “I really don’t feel in the mood to swank myself up and go out to eat.” 

 

Sirius studied his face. “All right,” he said. “We’ll just pick something up and eat it at your flat. What do you say?” he asked hopefully. 

 

Snape hesitated, but only for a moment. Much as he didn’t want to admit it, he enjoyed Sirius’s company. He didn’t want to go back to his empty flat and spend the evening by himself as he’d done so often in the past. “Very well,” he conceded at last.

 

Sirius grinned at him. “Don’t sound too enthusiastic or anything, Sev,” he teased the other programmer. 

 

Before Snape could answer, a familiar high voice spoke from nearby. “Oi, Sev, going to see your new bird?” Lucius Malfoy said as he strolled toward the two men. From his expression, he still didn’t quite buy Sirius’s story about a gorgeous girlfriend. This WAS Severus Snape they were talking about, after all. 

 

A look of annoyance ran fleetingly over Black’s face, showing Snape that the other programmer didn’t care for Malfoy any more than he did. “Actually he is,” Sirius replied before Severus could say anything in return, “I’m just gonna drop the brunette off at his flat,” he patted Snape’s shoulder fondly. “So that they can spend the evening together. They’re such a cute couple,” he added impishly, his grey eyes gleaming. 

 

Snape scowled at him, but of course the wanker wasn’t the least put out by the programmer's dark look. He was rocking back and forth on his heels with his hands in the pockets of his motorcycle jacket, watching both Severus and Lucius with half-lidded eyes. He looked like he was fighting laughter only with an effort, a fact which didn’t surprise Snape at all. Silly bastard. 

 

He transferred his scowling gaze to Malfoy, who was looking thoughtful. Having someone like Sirius Black confirm twice in a row that Severus Snape had a stunning new girlfriend was making him hesitate. Once might have been a joke; but why would Sirius say something like that twice if he didn’t mean it? “Well, then, have fun Sev,” his fellow programmer said at last.

 

“I’m sure I will,” Snape replied sarcastically. “Especially if I can get this person to leave as soon as possible.”

 

He saw Sirius gave an exaggerated wince out of the side of his eye, even as the tall man shook his head and winked. Snape sighed as Malfoy stared at him. “Wow, if you talk to her this way it’s a wonder she wants anything to do with you, Sev,” he remarked in disbelief. 

 

"I agree” Sirius drawled. “I’ve told him he should be less cruel, but…” he shrugged helplessly. “What do you do?” he continued, his lips twitching faintly. 

 

Snape sighed. “If you’re done, can we get on?” he said to Sirius impatiently.

 

“Your wish is my very command, Lord,” Black replied good naturedly. “We’ve gotta go,” he added to Malfoy. “He gets cranky if he doesn’t eat.” 

 

Lucius eyed him curiously. “No offense, Mr. Black, but why do you hang out with Sev anyway? He isn’t exactly…scintillating company,” he went on with a rather apologetic look at Snape. 

 

The other programmer didn’t reply to this insult, since he was just as curious as to why Sirius Black wanted anything to do with someone like him. His dark eyes rested on the tall man’s face as he waited for Sirius’s answer. Sirius seemed to be mulling this question over. “Hmm,” he said. “Well, let me think. He’s anti-social, has a tongue that could cut through steel, doesn’t really seem to care for me…” he grinned. “Honestly, I’ve no idea. Perhaps I’m just a masochist.”

 

Malfoy looked baffled, while Snape merely rolled his eyes a bit. Sirius snickered as he grabbed Severus by the arm. “Now we really must be going, Mr. Malfoy,” he said to the blonde. “He needs to get home in time for his date.” 

 

He dragged Snape away from the puzzled looking programmer, and finally lost control of himself when they pushed through the doors and out into the parking lot. He succumbed to his amusement, guffawing as he bent half over with his hands on his knees. Snape glared at the bent over man. “You are a complete imbecile, Black,” he rasped in disgust.

 

“Yes, I know,” Sirius replied cheerfully as he straightened up and wiped at his eyes. 

 

Severus snorted. What could one do with a man who responded in such a way to insults? Sirius Black was absolutely incorrigible. “Perhaps we should go,” was all he said aloud. He didn’t want to stand around the parking lot, since they’d soon have Malfoy badgering them again if they did. 

 

Sirius amiably led the way to his motorcycle. He handed Snape the extra helmet, and the other man put in on. He’d gotten used to riding the big gleaming black bike now, and most of his fear had faded. Snape straddled it behind Sirius, and put his arms around the other man’s waist. He tried to ignore the feel of the hard body under his hands, but it wasn’t easy. Memories of that explosive kiss Friday night kept coming back to him at the oddest moments. Snape often found himself looking at Sirius’s mouth, and the urge to just throw himself on the handsome wanker and snog with him ferociously was almost overwhelming at times. 

 

The only thing really holding him back was his uncertainty about dating another man. While they’d been pleasant and interesting dates, he still felt uncomfortable. It just seemed wrong to him to be attracted to a bloke.

 

 

 

They stopped to pick up some Chinese food. Snape held the bags of food as they roared through the London streets, and when they reached his building Sirius put down the kickstand and jumped off the bike. He scooped up the bags from Snape’s hands so that the other man could get off the motorcycle. “I’m starving,” Black remarked as the other programmer put the extra helmet neatly away in one of the saddlebags. 

 

Snape eyed him as they started toward the converted Victoria house. “How can you be starving?” he demanded incredulously. “You certainly ate enough at lunch.”

 

“But that was hours ago!” Sirius protested. “I'm a big guy; I need to eat a lot to keep this body going,” he patted his stomach complacently, making Snape shiver a tiny bit as his attention was drawn to just how large and well-formed Sirius Black’s body actually was. 

 

They walked up the stairs to the first floor, Sirius patiently holding the bags of food as Snape opened his door with the key. Once inside the flat, Severus took them from him to carry the food into the kitchen. Sirius came and leaned his long body against the archway as Snape began to take the white paper boxed out of the plastic bags and also put the kettle on to make some jasmine tea. He looked up to see that Black was smiling at him. “What?” he asked, pausing for a moment as he stared at Sirius. 

 

The smile on the sensual mouth widened a bit. “You’re just so cute when you turn all domestic, Sev,” he said throatily. 

 

Snape felt a weird bolt of heat run through his body, and forced himself to turn away so that he didn’t have to look into those sparkling grey eyes anymore. “I am not cute, Black,” he replied sharply. A chuckle was the only answer. He sighed in an exaggerated way as he opened a cupboard and took down some plates. With his back turned, the other man couldn’t see that he was smiling a little too. 

 

They ate the food sitting on the couch. Snape found himself often distracted from mastication by the fact that Sirius was eating his sweet and sour pork with a pair of chopsticks. The man was really nimble with them, dexterously carrying the food to his mouth without dropping any of it. Watching the sticks go into Sirius’s mouth was having a bad effect on certain sensitive parts of Snape’s anatomy. He tried very, very hard not to think of other things that could slide into that sensual mouth in the same manner, and failed miserably. He had to look down at his own plate and concentrate on his food to try to get a serious ‘problem’ that had developed between his legs to subside.

 

Blindly he stared at the pattern on the china plate he was holding, gritting his teeth as he took a bite of his vegetable stir fry and forced himself to chew it slowly. “You okay, Sev?” he heard Sirius ask over his head. 

 

He made a sound that he hoped was an affirmative, and then all of his good work went out the window when a hand settled on his shoulder. “You sure?” Sirius said, sounding concerned.

 

But Snape couldn’t answer him coherently. The warmth of that hand seemed to be coming right through the fabric of his shirt. His erection throbbed in his trousers, and he struggled desperately to control himself lest he come in them just from being touched by Sirius Black. It had been far too long since he was with anyone, and his body was nudging him vigorously to remind him of that fact. It was also pointing out that there was an extremely attractive person sitting next to him on his couch, so why didn’t he do something about it… 

 

Sirius studied the top of Snape’s head. He wondered if the other programmer was becoming sick from the food. The man was gasping faintly, and was bent over himself as though his stomach were bothering him. “Sev!” he said more urgently when there was no answer to his initial question. “Sev! Are you all right? Talk to me!” 

 

Snape shuddered visibly. But before his concern could rise any higher, the programmer carefully set his plate aside on the couch. He lifted his head as he turned toward Sirius, and the breath left the taller man’s body in a gasp of his own when he saw the fire burning in the depths of those ebony eyes. The man moved with surprising speed was the only thought that Sirius had time for before Snape leaned over and set his hands on either side of Black’s head. Then he closed his mouth over the other man’s, kissing with a fervency that stunned Sirius Black once more.

 

But not for long; he recovered his equilibrium quickly, and his hands shot out to span the other programmer’s lean waist and pull him even closer. Sirius pushed his tongue into Snape’s mouth, laving it over everything within. Severus gasped into the kiss as it flicked over the roof of his mouth, then stroked over Snape’s tongue to encourage it to come out and play. Distantly Sirius realized he could taste what the other man had just been eating, but most of his attention was on the snogging and also sliding his hands down under the waistband of Snape’s trousers. His fingers caressed the soft skin of the other man’s sides and stomach, and he heard a muffled moan that threatened to blow the top of his head off. Snape suddenly reared his head back, breaking the kiss. 

 

Sirius blinked as he fought to get his brain to restart once more. “What is it?” he husked in confusion. “Sev?” 

 

“I…" Snape ran a hand through his mussed hair. “I can’t do this, Black. I’m still not ready,” he sounded rather forlorn, but also determined. “I do want you, but I…” his eyes dropped to the hands twined together in his lap. Sirius fought himself down, hard though it was. VERY hard, in point of fact. 

 

“I told you that I’d wait until you were ready, Sev,” he said tenderly to the other man. “I meant that,” A flash of startled dark eyes.

 

“But I initiated this whole thing,” Severus said, waving a hand between them. “I shouldn’t have if I wasn’t ready to go through with anything…” 

 

Sirius chuckled. “I’m flattered that you want me so much that you lost your mind,” he replied easily. “It’s good for the ego, let me tell you.”

 

Snape gave him a half-hearted scowl. “As if your ego needs any more stroking, Black,” he said in some asperity. 

 

Sirius winced again as he’d done earlier. “You’re a mean one, Sev,” he said, sounding more admiring than put out. His grey eyes looked Snape over thoughtfully. “Not to be too personal or anything, but when’s the last time you had a good, hard shag? Or even just a bj?” he asked bluntly. 

 

Snape frowned awfully at him. “That’s really none of your business, Black,” he replied. 

 

Sirius shrugged. “Maybe not, but if you’re so backed up that you’re throwing yourself on me, you must be pretty bad off,” he said shrewdly. 

 

“Honestly, Black…” Snape started to say, then let out a gasp as Sirius showed his own turn of speed. The tall man slid off the couch and ended up crouched between Severus’s thighs, which he pushed further apart as the programmer gaped down at him. “What are you doing?!” Snape squeaked in a decidedly undignified manner. 

 

“Taking care of your problem,” Sirius replied cheerfully. Before Snape could protest again, long-fingered hands settled at the snap and zipper of his trousers. His breath began to pant in his throat a bit. 

 

“Blacckk,” he said, but it came out as a moan. 

 

“Yes?” Sirius said, even as he got the snap undone and started to pull the zipper down slowly. But Snape had lost the ability to speak, and could only watch wide-eyed as Sirius’s fingers gripped the edge of his now exposed briefs and began to pull them down off of his hips. “Lift up a bit,” he was told, and in a daze, he did as directed.

 

Sirius made a satisfied sound and freed the cock that had been trapped under the white fabric. It was dark red and leaking pre-cum, and Sirius nearly licked his lips as he took a hold of the long, curving penis and bent his head. Snape made a strangled sound as a tongue ghosted over the head of his erection. He couldn’t believe that this was happening! 

 

Sirius’s grey eyes rolled up to look at his face as the tall man lapped delicately at the tip like a cat. “You taste good, Sev,” he purred throatily, and Snape shook and nearly whimpered.

 

Sirius smirked a bit, then opened his mouth wider and enclosed the head and a bit of the shaft so that he could begin to suck. His hand stroked the rest of the cock he still held, and he relished each moan and cry as he went to work with a will. Snape began to involuntarily push his hips up so that more of his erection was thrust into that warm, moist mouth. A tongue was caressing the underside in a manner designed to drive him wild. He no longer cared about protesting. All he cared about was how good it felt to sink into Sirius’s mouth over and over again. His mouth hung open as he struggled to breathe at all. It had been so damn long! He was going to come at any moment. 

 

Sensing this, Sirius lifted the free hand that had been stroking Snape’s thigh and closed his fingers over the other man’s balls instead. He stroked them tenderly, even as he drove forward to deep throat Snape at the same time. Sirius swallowed in the back of his throat in anticipation, as Severus cried out deliriously above his head.

 

He watched Snape’s twisted face avidly as the other man came in his mouth. He drank the semen greedily, lightly squeezing the balls he held in his hand to help empty his lovely Sev. Snape collapsed, all his energy drained away. Lethargically he stared down at Sirius, who had lifted his head after licking the softening cock clean. He ran his tongue along his lower lip to clean the last traces of semen from it, giving Snape a smug look. “Hope you enjoyed your dessert, Sev,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “Because I know that I did.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius makes good use of the supply closet...

Snape felt pulverized. He lay back against the couch, his eyes half-lidded, staring down at the man still crouched between his legs. Sirius had a cat-in-cream smile on his face, but frankly right at this moment Severus just didn’t care. That had felt so damn good! It had been such a long time since Snape had been with anyone at all. He wouldn’t lower himself to pay for prostitutes, and since Lily had told him she was getting married to James Potter he hadn’t felt much of an urge to try to find a bed companion at all. But Sirius Black had brought him back to life, making his body aware of what it was like to feel desire and just plain pure lust once more. 

 

Now it was throbbing with the aftershocks of that wonderful orgasm, and he felt languid and sated and utterly content. Sirius laughed softly at the expression on his face as the tall man began to put Snape back into his trousers. His fingers were gentle as he carefully tucked Severus’s now flaccid cock back into his briefs, then dealt with the snap and zipper at the front of the trousers once more. Sirius patted the other programmer’s hip tenderly once he was done. “There we are,” he said cheerfully as he rose to his feet. “All better. Right?” 

 

Snape nodded silently. But then his attention was drawn to the bulge straining against the front of the other man’s jeans. “Black,” he began rather hoarsely. “You didn’t…” 

 

Sirius glanced down at himself. His lips quirked wryly. “No, not this time” he agreed. “This was all for you, Sev. But I’m hopeful that next time you’ll…err…be willing to take a hand in the matter,” he winked down at the still prone man.

 

Snape shook his head at the other man’s bad puns. “Are you sure?” he asked worriedly, still eyeing the evidence that Sirius had been very excited by what he’d just done to Severus. 

 

The tall man made an assenting gesture with his head. “Next time, Sev,” he replied. “And there WILL be a next time, if I can help it,” he grinned dazzlingly. “For now, I’ll just get going. Thanks for dinner, Sev. And for dessert, too,” with a cheerful wave, the tall man took himself out the door of the flat. 

 

Snape watched him go, feeling something like loneliness sweep through him the moment that Sirius was out the door. He almost wished that he’d asked the other man to stay the night…but that was something he just wasn’t ready for yet. Because he knew that if Sirius Black had stayed all night with him, they definitely would have ended up having sex. Still, Snape felt the emptiness of the flat very intensely as he got slowly to his feet and went to take a shower. The wanker’s larger-than-life personality seemed to fill the space very nicely, and now that he’d gone even the rooms seemed to be missing him. 

 

 

Snape walked into work the next morning with a bounce in his step and a near smile on his face. Sirius had been waiting for him when he’d emerged from his flat this morning, the tall man leaning against his glossy black motorcycle casually as he waited for Severus to appear. Snape’s heart had given a peculiar leap inside of him on catching sight of the wanker, and his day had suddenly gotten brighter for no reason that he could see. Sirius had grinned in greeting as he’d handed Severus the spare helmet. “Morning, Sev,” he’d said. “You ready to ride?” 

 

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Snape had replied dryly as he’d set the helmet on his head. 

 

The other man had laughed, knowing how little Severus liked his bike. They’d swung by a shop to pick up their morning coffee before coming to work. So Severus was carrying two tall foam cups in a carrier as he came through the door. He shed his coat and headed for the cubicle that he was now coming to think of as being both his and Sirius’s , practically whistling as he stepped inside to sit down in his chair. He heard a whistle behind him. 

 

“Looks like someone got lucky last night,” Malfoy’s snide voice said from behind him. “Good job, Sev. The brunette, I take it?” 

 

Snape stiffened in his chair. He carefully set the coffee carrier down on his desk before he turned to look at his fellow employee. There was a sneering smirk on Lucuis’s pale, pointed face. “Even if that were so, I wouldn’t admit it to you,” Snape said coldly to Malfoy. “As it's none of your business.”

 

Malfoy tilted his head. “Ahh. I’m right, then,” he said. “I must admit, I didn’t think you had it in you, Sev. Or was this a case of you being in someone else?” he winked salaciously, and Snape felt his fingers balling up into fists. This time he really was going to smash Lucuis’s smirking face in… 

 

“Good morning, Mr. Malfoy,” a voice said over their shoulders. “I hate to say this, but shouldn’t you be working?” 

 

Both men turned to see Remus Lupin strolling between the cubicles toward them, his seemingly mild eyes resting on the tall blonde’s face. His smile was not reassuring. “I need to talk to Mr. Snape,” Remus continued calmly, “About a private matter. So if you could excuse us?” His voice never became threatening, nor did his demeanor. But somehow he managed to cow Lucius Malfoy affectively. The blonde nodded his head. 

 

“I’ll just be going then,” he said, retreating back toward his own cubicle smartly.

 

Remus watched him to make sure that he didn’t linger in the corridor so that he could listen to their conversation. Then the head of accounting turned back to look at Snape once more. “There,” he said softly in a satisfied tone of voice, “St. George has rousted the dragon. You looked like you were about to smash his face in. While I can’t say that I’d disapprove of such an action, the company might not like it.” 

 

“What are you doing here, Mr. Lupin?” Snape asked as politely as he could manage. He hadn’t forgotten that Remus Lupin was yet another of James Potter’s good friends. 

 

The slim man smiled, not put out by his ill-humor. “I came down to see Sirius,” he remarked. “Where is he?” 

 

“Dawdling as usual,” Snape replied acerbically. “He should be along in a moment.” 

 

“Wonderful. I’ll just wait for him,” Lupin stood just in the doorway of the cubicle, not crowding Snape’s personal space but also not allowing him to bolt for any reason, either. 

 

Severus didn’t know what to say, so he turned his back on Remus and turned on his computer. He heard Lupin begin to speak behind his back, the mild voice still low so that those on either side of them couldn’t hear what was being said. “I just wanted to say that I’m aware that Sirius and you are dating,” the other man said. As Snape stiffened once more, this time in shock, he continued: “And I must say that I couldn’t be more pleased.” 

 

Taken aback, Snape actually swiveled his chair around to look at Lupin’s face. “Why?” he asked warily. 

 

Lupin’s smile was gentle. “Because I’ve never seen Sirius look happier. I’m always pleased when one of my friends finds the right person for them. I want them all to be as happy as I am in my relationship.” His eyes studied Severus’s face. “That’s why I was really glad when James married his Lily,” he went on, seeing the sudden tension that sprang up in Snape’s bony shoulders. “I know that you weren’t quite as pleased when your friend married him,” Lupin said softly, “But you have to admit that she loves him very much. They’re good together. Just as you and Sirius seem to be,” his last words made Snape blink. 

 

“There’s a difference,” he said shortly. When Remus lifted his eyebrows in enquiry, the programmer shrugged. “Much as I hate to admit it, Lily is in love with James Potter.” 

 

Lupin pursed his lips in a contemplative manner. “So what’s the difference?” he asked politely. “I’m afraid that I can’t see it.” 

 

Snape’s mouth opened and closed for a moment. But before he could refute what the other man had said, a familiar voice called out behind them: “Rem! What brings you down to cubicle land this morning?”

 

Lupin turned to greet his tall friend as Sirius strode toward them. The two men shook hands, and Sirius also clapped his smaller friend on the shoulder. “Actually,” Remus replied in answer to his question, “I just came down to invite you to a small party that Dora and I are having tomorrow night. Feel free to bring anyone you want to it,” he added, elaborately not looking at Snape. “Just a few drinks and hors d'oeurves, that kind of thing. Starts at seven. Will you come?” 

 

“Of course I will,” Sirius replied heartily. Then he looked over at Snape himself. “Will you come with me, Sev?” he asked hopefully in a wheedlingly little boy voice. 

 

Snape wanted to refuse, especially after that little conversation that he’d just had with Lupin. But it would be unforgivably rude to do so. He said between his teeth: “It would be my pleasure,” he was clearly insincere in this statement, but both men chose to take it on face value. 

 

“Wonderful,” Lupin said. “I’ll see you both there. I’d best get back to work now.”

 

“Bye, Rem,” Sirius watched his friend walk away, then turned to Severus. “This is great,” he remarked as he walked into the cubicle and threw himself into his chair. “I can’t wait for you to meet Dora and Teddy.”

 

“I’ve net Mr. Lupin’s wife before,” Snape pointed out coolly as he turned to his own computer. 

 

“Formally, I’m sure, but not informally. Dora’s great fun. You’ll really like her,” Sirius said heartily. He chose to ignore the silence being directed at him from the other chair, since he was used to Snape’s moods by now. He knew that he could jolly the other man out of it later. He had a plan…his eyes gleamed wickedly at this thought, as Sirius settled down to his own work. Something to look forward to during the mid-afternoon lull… 

 

 

Snape walked into the storage room in search of blank discs. They needed them to transfer some of their work, because Sirius wanted to go over parts of the code at Snape’s flat tonight. Severus had gotten up to come to the storage room himself, since Sirius didn’t know all of the layout of the building yet. He walked between the shelves toward the back of the room, which was where the stacks of blank discs were. But just as he reached the right place, he was startled to feel hands settle on his shoulders. He jumped about a foot in the air, as Sirius’s voice remarked: “Calm down, Sev, it’s just me.”

 

Snape whirled around to confront the other man, glaring. “You frightened the life out of me, Black! Why the hell did you sneak up on me like that?”

 

Sirius looked apologetic. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to. I just thought I’d come and see if you need any help.” 

 

Severus’s brows drew together in puzzlement. “Help? Why would I need help?” 

 

Sirius looked around elaborately, then turned back to Snape with a truly evil grin on his face. “Well, it depends on the kind of help we’re talking about,” he purred. Black eyes widened as Snape stared at him. Sirius couldn’t mean what he thought the wanker meant! 

 

But the grey eyes had a light in them that made his stomach muscles tighten, as Sirius began to stalk toward him. Snape retreated, but his back came up against the wall after only a few steps. “Black…you can’t seriously mean to…?” he said weakly. 

 

The tall man smiled in a predatory way. “Yes, I can,” he replied.

 

“But there are cameras in here!” squeaked Snape in horror. “And someone might come in!”

 

“All taken care of” Sirius assured him as the tall man stepped even closer. “I hacked into the feed and looped a piece of the tape to show the same ten minutes. That’s what I’ve been doing for the last hour,” he said happily. “And as for someone coming in…” he shrugged. “They won’t be able to do that, since I jammed a length of wood under the sill. And anyone who finds the door ‘locked’ will go to the janitor first to try to get the room opened. That will give us plenty of time.” 

 

His hands reached out for Snape before the other man could come up with any more protests. Sirius’s fingers went to work at the front of his shirt, and Severus could only stand frozen for a moment. “Black..” he said feebly. “We can’t do this…” 

 

“Why not?” Sirius asked equably, as he managed the last of the buttons. He pulled the shirt open, feasting his eyes on the pale perfection of the torso bared to his eyes, crowned with two darkly rosy nipples. The desire in his eyes made Snape’s knees start to go weak. A breathy moan was all he managed as Sirius lifted his hands and stroked his thumbs over the already rucked nubs. “Nice,” the tall man said in admiration, and his tone almost finished Snape off altogether. 

 

Sirius let his hands drift downward to the front of Snape’s trousers. He made quick work of the fastenings, knowing that they didn’t have a ton of time. Deftly he got the snap and zipper undone, and jerked both the trousers and briefs down Severus’s hips. He licked his lips as he bared the erect cock that he’d only gotten a taste of last night. “That’s better,” he said throatily, just before he knelt down on the concrete floor and opened his mouth. A groan sounded above his head as Sirius enclosed Snape’s penis and began to suck skillfully. Now this is what he called a lunch break!

 

Sirius’s strong hands had settled on his hips to hold him in place. Snape’s head went back, and he nearly brained himself on the wall behind him. Severus’s hands tangled in the wanker’s long dark hair, and he held on for dear life as Sirius pleasured him. “Uhh,” the sound was forced from his throat as a tongue danced the length of him. He would have protested when Sirius suddenly withdrew, but before he could Black bent down even further and began to tongue his balls instead. A long-fingered hand stroked his erection in time with this caress, and Snape’s legs began to tremble. As Sirius mouthed each of his balls in turn, he was sure that his brain was going to explode. 

 

Severus really didn’t care that they were doing this at work anymore, or that they might get caught. All he cared about was the feel of the warm mouth encasing his testicle, and the fingers pinching at the tip of his cock. He was going to come at any moment… 

 

Realizing that the testicles he was assaulting so pleasurably were drawing up tight, Sirius transferred his mouth back to the quivering cock between Snape’s thighs. He drove down on it once, twice…and he heard the sharp cry above his head as it began to spurt into his mouth. Sirius swallowed the tangy, salty semen happily, draining the other man until Snape was empty. When he lifted his head, he relished the expression on his lovely Sev’s face. 

 

“I suppose we should get back to work,” he said regretfully as he rose to his feet.

 

But as he reached to tuck Snape back into his clothes, the other man grabbed his hands. He looked surprised, especially when he saw the determined look on Severus’s face. Without saying anything, Snape let go of his hands and lowered his own to the fastenings of Sirius’s jeans. The tall man gasped a bit, realizing what the other programmer meant to do. But he couldn’t protest, not when Severus was pulling down the zipper and reaching inside to fish out his cock.

 

“No underwear, Black?” he remarked. “Tsk.” 

 

Sirius would have come up with a witty reply, but he couldn’t. Not when Snape’s elegantly bony hand was grasping his erection firmly. He’d had a raging hard-on last night when he’d left the flat, and had had to go home to wank off immediately. He was just as excited today, so having Snape do this for him made shiver wrack his large frame. His head tilted a bit, and he moaned: “Sev.” 

 

Snape looked down at the cock he held in his hand. It was strange to actually touch someone else’s. Sirius’s erection seemed thicker than his own, but not quite as long. It was hot and hard, and he decided he liked the feel of it. He gave an experimental stroke, and Sirius made a guttural sound in the back of his throat. In the spirit of discovery, Snape set out to find out all the touches that made the tall man groan and shake. His other hand came into play, cupping the other man’s firm testicles as he felt their weight and shape.

 

Sirius’s hips were swaying as he pushed himself forward to get more of the intimate caresses that were literally blowing his mind. He gritted his teeth, feeling his orgasm rising up in him. That it was his Sev doing this to him…it was too much for Sirius to take. “I’m going to…come, Sev,” he ground out.

 

Snape tightened his fingers even more, although he released Sirius’s balls and reached up to pull a handkerchief from his shirt pocket. He stroked the cock even as he wrapped the bit of cloth around the head. Sirius made a low sound as Snape met his eyes and said in deep, dark tones: “Come, Black.” 

 

Sirius shuddered as he followed this command. “Ugh,” he cried as he spurted into the handkerchief that Snape had deftly positioned to sop up the mess.

 

When he was finally done, Sirius opened rather dazed grey eyes to look at the Severus. Snape’s face was rather smug, which he couldn’t blame the other man for. “That was great, Sev,” he husked. “Thank you.” 

 

Snape nodded as he crumpled up the handkerchief. He intended to throw it away, since he figured he’d never be using it to blow his nose again. Sirius recovered enough to step forward and bend his head. He captured Snape’s lips in a long kiss, and the other programmer was panting a bit when he lifted his head again. “Now we can get back to work,” Sirius remarked in satisfaction. “Come on, Sev. Let’s get straightened up and beat feet before someone tries to break in here.” 

 

They helped each other with their clothes, and Severus found himself watching Sirius’s face as the tall man buttoned his shift for him. He thought suddenly about his conversation with Remus Lupin. Surely what the head of accounting had said wasn’t true? He couldn’t already be in love with Sirius Black, could he? But Snape very much feared that Remus’s assessment had been correct. He heard Sirius ask: "Are you all right, Sev?” He pulled himself together. 

 

“Yes, I’m fine,” he replied quietly, although for Severus Snape at that moment this statement was something of a lie.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snape makes a decision.

Snape stood tensely in the sitting room of Remus Lupin’s town house the next evening. He was holding a drink in his hand, which he took sips of periodically to stiffen his resolve. The programmer wished desperately that he could have thought of an excuse not to come tonight – perhaps a last-minute case of malaria? But he knew that Sirius would have seen through any of his ploys, and would have insisted that he come anyway. Snape cursed the fact that Black wasn’t the clueless moron that he sometimes told the other man that he was. Sirius was eagle-eyed about some things, in point of fact; especially things having to do with Severus’s behavior patterns. It was disturbing to him that the other man could read him so very accurately. 

 

One of the reasons for his unease had arrived some fifteen minutes ago, and he’d tensed up when he heard her musical voice in the foyer talking to Dora Lupin. Lily Potter was chatting with their host now, with her tall husband at her side. Her face was animated as she described something that had happened on their honeymoon to her husband’s friend, and she’d never looked so beautiful to him before. Glumly he drank some more Scotch, wishing that he could be anywhere else but here. A hand slid around his waist, making him jump a bit.

 

“Easy there, Sev,” Sirius said softly in his ear. “I know it’s hard for you to see her here, but the truth is that it’s above time that you face the fact that she’s gone. She’s wed to James…and you have me now,” he nuzzled his nose into Snape’s much shorter hair in a comforting gesture.

 

Snape gritted his teeth at yet another example of Black’s surprising perceptiveness where he was concerned. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” he ground out. “You as consolation prize? Somehow I’m not jumping for joy, Black.” 

 

“Ouch,” Sirius breathed, wincing exaggeratedly. “You have very sharp claws, Sev. But I’m not surprised – you tend to get even more sarcastic and cruel when you’re upset. I believe that it’s a defensive measure on your part.”

 

Two points to Sirius Black. It was Snape’s turn to flinch a bit. “Go over and talk to her,” Sirius went on quietly, “You and she used to be friends, after all. Are you just going to let that all go by the wayside because she married someone else? We don’t get many good friends in this lifetime. We should cherish every one of them,” his hand patted Severus’s waist before he walked away to talk to Dora Lupin.

 

Snape hesitated, but he could see the truth of Sirius’s words. Lily and he had been friends since before university – for him to deny that friendship because she’d married James Potter and not he would make him petty and small. He walked slowly across the room through the small crowd of guests, his dark eyes set on the lovely redhead still chatting with Remus Lupin. Snape tried not to see that James’s strong arm was around her waist, nor that the tall man was beaming down at his beautiful bride in a propriety manner. 

 

The programmer hesitated for a moment after he’d arrived near the small group, but at last he put out a hand and lightly touched Lily’s arm. She turned to see who it was, and her green eyes lit up at the sight of him. As usual they took his breath away – with one difference. The frustrated desire that had haunted him so long was gone. He could look at her appreciatively, without the longing that went with it. Snape suspected that a certain annoying wanker was the cause of this sea change. He conjured up a very small smile for his old friend. 

 

“Hello, Lily,” he said.

 

“Sev!” she exclaimed, taking his hands in her own. “How good it is to see you! I’ve been meaning to get down to your section, but since James and I returned from our honeymoon its just been hectic!”

 

“That’s all right,” Snape said. "I could have come to see you, as well. But I’ve been very busy…” 

 

She beamed at him. “That’s perfectly fine. Oh, Sev, you remember James don’t you? And darling, you of course remember my good friend Severus Snape.” 

 

James Potter nodded amiably at him. “Hullo,” he said in a friendly manner.

 

At any time before Sirius Black had come into his life that friendliness would have been like salt rubbed into an open wound. But now he could nod and reply in return without feeling too many twinges of jealousy or hate. “Good evening,” he said to James Potter. “Do you think that I could speak to your wife for a moment? We won’t be long.” 

 

“Of course,” James replied. “I’ll just stay here and talk to Rem. Have fun, you two,” he smiled at his wife, who kissed him lightly on the mouth before she walked away to join Snape. 

 

“Isn’t he a darling?” she whispered to her old friend gleefully.

 

Snape didn’t quite agree with this statement, but he kept his mouth firmly shut. James Potter was Lily’s choice, and it wasn’t for him to try to interfere. She set her hand on his arm as they strolled across the sitting room together. “So tell me everything,” Lily remarked. “How’ve you been, Sev? I haven’t seen you in so long…I missed you.” 

 

He realized that he felt the same. He’d missed their talks just as much as anything else. “I’m fine,” he replied, and meant it. “Busy with work, of course…”

 

“And a certain handsome gentleman,” she went on for him rather slyly. Snape stared at her, taken aback.

 

“Oh, come now, Sev. Did you think I could miss who you came with? Sirius is one of James’s good friends, so of course I know that he prefers men. Or am I wrong? Is he just a friend?” she looked questioningly at him.

 

He sighed. “You’re not wrong,” he admitted. “We have been dating.” She grinned. 

 

“That’s wonderful, Sev! One of my friends is dating one of James’s! How perfectly marvelous! And you two make a lovely couple, if I do say so myself.”

 

He looked surprised. “We do?” 

 

She snorted. “Honestly, Sev…you can be so clueless sometimes. But never mind. Are you happy?” she looked at him seriously, her green eyes searching his.

 

Snape hesitated. Then he said slowly: “Yes, yes I am,” he felt a certain amount of wonder about being able to say that, especially about being with someone other than the beautiful girl walking at his side. 

 

Unbidden, his dark eyes moved to where Sirius was still chatting with their hostess. His expression made Lily nearly hold her breath, and the last of her worries about her friend disappeared(of course she’d known that Severus Snape fancied her, being a perceptive woman; but since all she’d ever felt for him was friendship, she’d very carefully never acknowledged his feelings). “Good,” she said aloud in satisfaction. “Being very happy myself right now, I want everyone else I know to be the same way. You made a great choice, Sev; Sirius is a wonderful man.”

 

“I’m not sure that the choice was mine in any way,” he replied dryly. 

 

She giggled. “He can be pretty overwhelming when he wants something, can’t he? But you should take that as a compliment; if he was that insistent, he must want you very badly indeed.” 

 

“I suppose,” he said doubtfully. “But let’s not talk about me anymore. How was the honeymoon?” 

 

She brightened up, for it was clear that she loved talking about this particular subject. “Oh, it was marvelous. We went to Aruba, as you know; it was so warm and beautiful. I would have loved to stay even longer. The hotel we were at had these lovely open rooms, with balconies and tons of windows looking out over the beach. The sunsets were spectacular. Not like here in grey old England,” she laughed. “You should go there sometime, Sev, you’d love it.”

 

Snape had a sudden vision of walking along a beach full of white sand, hand-in-hand with Sirius Black. “It does sound…nice,” he said absently. 

 

“It was. We got to snorkel, and water ski, and the water was so warm when we swam…it was like heaven.”

 

He looked at her. “What now? Will you quit your job at Hogwarts?” he asked her curiously.

 

She shook her head. “Not right now, anyway; I like my job, and James knows that. Later on when we have children I probably will - for awhile at least. I’ll want to be a stay-at-home mum for their first few years.” He felt a small pang when she mentioned children, but he pushed it away. Lily would be a wonderful mother. That he’d always dreamed of being the father of those hypothetical children was beside the point.

 

“So, I’ll still be able to see you at Hogwarts, anyway,” he said. She nodded cheerfully. 

 

“I’ll come down to your section soon, I swear,” she made a cross over her heart.

 

He smiled slightly. “And I’ll find a reason to go to customer service as well,” he replied. 

 

“It’s a deal,” they shook on it mock-solemnly, and Snape found himself feeling quite light-hearted. It was good to have his friendship with Lily back, without the jealousy and bitterness getting in the way.

 

Across the room, Dora Lupin said shrewdly: “Looks like they’ve kissed and made up. Symbolically, anyway,” she looked up at Sirius, and grinned cheekily. “It seems that your plan worked, Sirius. I must admit, when you approached me and Rem about giving this party and inviting James and Lily as well as Severus Snape, I thought you’d gone completely mental…” 

 

“Who says I haven’t?” he replied cheekily. “But,” he went on more soberly, “He needed to face her. I don’t want the ghost of Lily Potter to haunt our relationship. I’ll admit I’m selfish… I want Sev all to myself.”

 

She snorted. “Of course you do. Who wants the memories of old girlfriends interfering? Rem dated someone at university long before he met me; they were pretty serious. They intended to get married after graduation. But she left him for an up-and-coming young barrister with far more money and social status than Rem had. He was pretty broken up about it. He met me almost a year later. I made good and sure, before I allowed myself to get serious about him, that I wasn’t just a rebound woman. I wouldn’t have stood for being his second choice. No sane person would want to play second fiddle to the memory of a person’s ‘one great love’.” 

 

He laughed. “Don’t you believe in true love, Dora?” he asked her. 

 

“Of course I do. But I also know the difference between puppy love and the real thing. True love is the kind that lasts no matter what you go through together as a couple. Even the hard times don’t faze you, because you have each other. You can even quarrel with the one you really love, and come out of it a stronger pair. That’s real, and anything else is just a temporary infatuation.” She stopped, seeing the way that Sirius was smiling at her.“What?” she asked, lifting her brows. 

 

“You’re a genuine romantic, Dora, aren’t you? I never would have thought it” Sirius remarked.

 

“Yes, well, never tell Rem. It would destroy all of his illusions of me as a wild party girl,” her grin was gamin. “Now I have to go check on Teddy, to make sure that he’s asleep. See you in a bit,” she left the party to go upstairs to the baby’s room. 

 

Sirius turned to look across the room once more. He saw that Snape was alone again; Lily had returned to her husband’s side. He immediately high-tailed it across the room, saying as he approached Severus: “Did you two have a good talk?” 

 

He received a dark look for this question. “As if that’s any of your business,” Snape replied acerbically.

 

Sirius shrugged. “I suppose not,” he agreed easily. “Although I tend to think anything having to do with you, my remarkable Sev, is always my business.” 

 

A half-hearted scowl was the only reply to this ridiculous remark. Sirius slid his arm around the lanky man’s waist once more, knowing he was playing with fire and not caring. Any excuse to touch the man that he loved…Yes, loved. Dora Lupin’s theory about true love slid through his mind. He wanted to test that theory with Snape. Sirius wanted to be with this man for as many years as he possibly could, quarrelling and making up; weathering the hard times and cherishing the good ones; always together even when they were apart. All he had to do now was talk Severus Snape into wanting the same things. He hoped that his powers of persuasion were up to the challenge, for he genuinely couldn’t imagine a future for himself without Severus Snape in it.

 

 

“You’ve certainly had a good affect on him,” Dora Lupin said to Sirius later as he and his date were getting ready to leave. 

 

He shot her a surprised look. “What do you mean?” 

 

She grinned. “He was almost human tonight. Definitely not as sour as usual. So tell me – is that the amazing power of true love…or just good shagging?” 

 

Sirius laughed heartily. “A bit of both, I hope,” he replied with a wink. He kissed her cheek. “Thanks for doing this for me, Dora. I owe you one,” he said in her ear. 

 

“Yes, you do,” she said. “And I’ll be sure to collect my dues, you can count on that. Goodnight, old son,” her eyes went to where Snape was collecting his jacket. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she said softly. 

 

He snorted. “So I can do anything at all?” he replied slyly, making her laugh. 

 

“You’ve got me there,” she said merrily.

 

“Are you two through conspiring?” her husband’s voice said over her shoulder. They both turned to look at Remus, who shook his head. “You’re both just like overgrown children,” he said fondly. Dora went into his arms, nestling against the front of his suit jacket.

 

“As if you didn’t like me that way, Rem,” she said.

 

“Point taken,” he replied. Remus looked at his tall friend. "I hope that tonight accomplished what you hoped it would?” he said quietly.

 

Sirius nodded. “I think it did. Thanks to both of you. Tell James that I’ll stop by his office and see him tomorrow at Hogwarts. Now I’ve got to take Sev home. He’s not used to being out so late,” he said teasingly. It was only ten o’clock. 

 

They both laughed as he went to collect his date. “Ready to go, Sev?” he asked. 

 

“Yes,” Snape pulled on his jacket and turned to face Sirius. They went to the door, stopping to say goodnight to their host and hostess. Remus and Dora stood on the step and waved them off as they climbed onto Sirius’s bike.

 

Snape felt the hardness of Sirius’s body under his hands. He pressed himself closer to the other man’s form on the motorcycle. Talking with Lily tonight had freed something within him. He knew he wouldn’t be mooning after her anymore. He would now be able to concentrate on someone that he found attractive, other than his lovely red-haired friend. Like the man sitting on front of him on the bike…Severus Snape came to a resolution as they rode through the streets of London to his flat.

 

When Sirius stopped the bike at the curb and he got off, Snape quickly reached up to remove the helmet. He turned to look at the handsome wanker, who had taken off his own helmet and was holding it under his arm. “I’ll say goodnight to you, Sev,” Sirius said cheerfully. “See you tomorrow morning.” 

 

“Black, wait,” Snape said. When the other man gave him a questioning look, he took a deep breath and said slowly: “I’d like it if you stopped here for the night, Black.” 

 

Silence. Then: “You do know what you’re saying, Sev? If I stay the night we’ll…” 

 

“Yes, I know,” Snape cut him off. “I want to…I would like it if you stayed,” he said, meeting Sirius’s eyes.

 

Black took a deep breath before getting off of his bike. “All right, Sev,” he said. “I’ll stay.”

 

Severus felt trembles of both excitement and nervousness run through his limbs. Siruis put down the kickstand of his motorcycle and removed the keys. Then he turned to Snape. The programmer just stood there helplessly, his dark eyes rather wide, until Sirius came forward to put a hand on his arm and begin to steer him gently into the house.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Much sexiness abounds...

Sirius pulled Snape up to his door, and waited patiently while the other programmer fumbled with his key. Severus’s fingers were shaking with nervousness and excitement both. He seemed to feel the hot touch of those grey eyes on every part of his body. It was as though Sirius Black were licking him up with his gaze. Snape shivered as he finally got the door open and walked slowly into his flat, with the other man at his heels. He stood in the sitting room, turning to look rather helplessly at Sirius. The other man smiled gently at him.

 

The tall man lifted his hand to set his fingers under Snape’s chin. “It’ll be fine, Sev,” he crooned tenderly. “Just perfect, in fact. Leave everything to me, hmm?” 

 

Snape nodded, his black eyes meeting the shining grey ones. For some reason, he trusted Sirius Black utterly. He knew that the other man would take care of him, show him the ropes, and make his first time with another man as close to perfect as it could come. Sirius made an approving noise at the trust he saw in the dark eyes, before he bent his head a little and kissed his new lover passionately.

 

Snape’s arms lifted jerkily to close around him as Sirius feasted on the sweet mouth he couldn’t get enough of. He drank in the soft moans that were being emitted as his tongue curled into Snape’s mouth and laved over every surface within. The kiss went on for an indeterminate amount of time, and Snape was way more relaxed when Sirius finally lifted his head. The dark eyes were languid, and the sight of them made a surge of lust run through the taller man. He gritted his teeth as he stepped back a bit and took his new lover’s hand once more. “Bedroom,” he said, and Severus led the way to a closed door.

 

Inside Sirius looked around. The room suited Snape’s personality, he thought with an internal smile. The bed appeared utilitarian and boring, but he caught a glimpse of colorful sheets under the bedspread as he neared it. All of his Sev’s really interesting bits were on the inside, treasures just waiting to be discovered by the right man. He definitely intended to be that man. He turned to Snape, who was standing nearby. “Listen, Sev,” he said. “I’m going to be gone for a bit. In the meantime, why don’t you take a shower and get into a robe if you like? I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

 

Snape’s mouth opened a little. Black was going to leave at such a crucial juncture? Seeing his expression, Sirius laughed ruefully. “I’m sorry” he said, advancing on his new lover. He set his hands on Severus’s upper arms, rubbing comfortingly at them as he explained his sudden exodus. "There are some things we need, which I’ll fetch from my flat. I doubt I can find a drug store open at this time of night,” he added.

 

Snape blinked. “What kind of things?” he demanded, wanting to know why he was being deserted.

 

Sirius grinned lasciviously. “INTIMATE things,” he said huskily. “Shall I go into detail, Sev? I will if you want me to.” 

 

Snape felt a blush crawling up his cheeks as his imagination went into overtime. “Uh…” he said. “That’s perfectly all right, Black. I don’t need the details,” he said hurriedly. 

 

Sirius chuckled as he walked toward the open bedroom door. “Didn’t think so,” he said cheekily over his shoulder. “I’ll be back, as I said. As quickly as possible,” he added, his eyes gleaming lustfully. 

 

Snape watched him walk through the door and stride across the sitting room, moving at a pace that said that he’d be running by the time he got to his motorcycle. The programmer sighed, reaching up to run his hand through his newly-shortened hair. This was an unexpected development. He’d thought that he could get through this by not thinking at all, but now Sirius had gone off and left him with nothing to do BUT think about what was going to happen here tonight. Snape decided to take the other man’s advice and hop into a nice hot shower. It might help his tense muscles to relax a bit. 

 

 

Sirius roared through the night, recklessly speeding through the London streets and not caring. He’d pay any speeding tickets he got, and gladly. He wanted to get back to Sev as quickly as possible, knowing that the other programmer would be anxious and fretting by now. This was a huge step into the unknown for Snape; he had to be wondering if he’d made a mistake, now that he had time to think. He turned the corner onto his street, pulling up in front of his flat. Jumping off his bike, he ran into the large townhouse and bolted up the stairs to the first floor. He cursed under his breath as he rummaged in his pocket for the key to his flat, finally finding it and pulling it out of his pocket. He jammed it into the lock and got the door open, then made his way down the hall and into his bedroom to fetch the things he needed from his nightstand. 

 

Shoving these items into his pockets, Sirius ran back out of the flat and cursed again at the necessity of stopping even briefly to re-lock his front door. Then he clattered down the stairs and outside, hurling himself onto his bike and driving off into the night in a loud squeal of tires on concrete. 

 

 

Snape took a long hot shower, and the water pounding down on him did help to relax his stiff muscles somewhat. He toweled himself down slowly, wondering what Sirius would think of his body (not that the other man hadn’t seen a good deal of it already). Then he pulled on his robe and wandered back out into his bedroom. He sat down on the side of the bed, his hands twining in his lap nervously as he tried to wait patiently for Sirius’s return. 

 

But to his eternal joy, he heard the front door crash open not five minutes after he’d sat down. Snape got hurriedly to his feet, his black eyes lighting up as Sirius came charging across the sitting room and into the bedroom. The tall man grinned even as he panted a bit. “Back,” he rasped. “Did you miss me while I was gone?” 

 

Snape snorted derisively, which made Sirius’s grin widen. “I got the stuff,” he patted his pocket as he walked over to Severus. Seeing the curiosity in the dark eyes, he reached in to pull out the items he’d grabbed at his flat and displayed them to his new lover. Severus stared at the things that Sirius was holding in his hands, and felt a dull flush rising in his cheeks again.

 

He saw at least a half-dozen silver-foil condom packets, and a tube of lubrication. Seeing the mortified expression on his face, Sirius was hard-pressed not to chuckle. But he didn’t think that laughing at Severus Snape at this crucial juncture would be a good idea at all. He laid the packets and the tube on the bedspread and turned to Severus, reaching out to pull the other man into a close embrace. He nuzzled his nose into the still damp hair behind Snape’s ear, even as he hugged his new lover and ran his hands down the other man’s back worshipfully.

 

“You feel so good, Sev,” he purred, and felt the other programmer shiver faintly at his words and caresses. It was the simplest thing in the world to move his mouth a bit and close it once more over Severus’s. His hands wandered the length of Snape’s back as he kissed the other man, and then slid down to close over that very fine arse that he’d cupped once before outside the dance club. He was so thoroughly distracting Severus with his kisses that the other man wasn’t even aware that his hands were kneading and weighing the cheeks through the terrycloth of the robe that Snape was wearing. 

 

Sirius brought their groins together so that they were rubbing against one another as the two men kissed, and he heard Snape give forth a muffled moan into his mouth. Sirius was taken with the red flush rising in his new lover’s cheeks when he finally released Snape’s mouth. He took his hands off the other man’s arse and brought them around to the front, headed for the part in the robe with the intention of stripping it off Snape completely. He couldn’t wait to finally see all of his gorgeous Sev’s body.

 

He heard a gasp as his fingers closed over the tie and swiftly dealt with it. Ruthlessly Sirius pulled the robe apart then pushed it off of Severus altogether, baring that lanky body fully to his hot gaze. For a moment it looked as though Snape were going to try to cover himself with his hands, a bit of shyness that absolutely captivated Sirius. He drank in the sight of the fine body he’d only partially seen before this, taking it all in. Severus wasn’t heavily-muscled, since he didn’t do intensive work-outs; but his stomach was flat and his chest surprisingly broad. A sparse swirl of dark hair ringed the programmer’s rose colored nipples, and ran in a charming trail down his stomach to mingle with his pubic hair. He was heavily aroused, his cock rising like a spike from his groin. Sirius licked his lips when he saw the drops of pre-cum already dribbling from the pink tip. 

 

Severus felt as though he would explode just from having Sirius stare at him with those greedy, lustful eyes. As the grey orbs(darkened to the color of slate from desire) ran in a leisurely manner down his long legs, a shiver wracked his frame. Nervousness was being superseded by excitement once more, and all he wanted was to get on with this before he went mad. Sirius nodded decisively. “You’re absolutely splendid, Sev,” he growled, and his throaty tones sent a shudder down Snape’s spine.

 

Sirius reached up to remove his motorcycle jacket. He pushed it off his own broad shoulders, then pulled the dark-blue turtleneck sweater he was wearing under it off of his body as well. Snape watched him intently, the breath faltering in his chest as Sirius's body was slowly bared for his appreciation. But the time that the other programmer yanked off his heavy boots and pulled his jeans off of his legs, Snape felt as though his body were on fire. Sirius straightened up again, showing off his body without shame. 

 

Severus stared at it, having never seen another man naked in such intimate circumstances before. His eyes took in the broad chest, muscular arms, and washboard stomach so casually on display for him. Black’s skin was much darker than his own, with a slight tan that said the other man had been in foreign climes recently. He blinked as he saw the tattoos on his new lover’s skin, and the ring through one nipple, as well as the silver miniature barbell(or that’s what it looked like, anyway) piercing Sirius’s navel. Seeing that Snape was staring at his piercings, Sirius looked down at himself as well. “Like them?” he asked curiously.

 

“I don’t...” Severus shook his head uncertainly. “Why did you…”

 

Sirius shrugged as he began to pad naked toward his lover. “I just like tatts,” he replied easily, “You should get one too. It’d look wonderful on this skin of yours.” he put out a hand to run it caressingly over Snape’s chest, making him gasp. 

 

“I d-don’t think so, Black…” Snape husked as fingers reached a nipple and pinched it delicately. His back arched into this caress as Sirius chuckled. 

 

“Your loss. But a piercing is not only dead sexy, it makes certain areas even more sensitive.” 

 

He rolled the nipple in his fingers, making Snape begin to pant. Then he gasped again as Sirius pushed him backward unexpectedly, and he fell onto the bedspread in a delightful sprawl. Sirius growled happily before he descended atop the other man. Sirius lifted himself up on his elbows as he looked down at his new lover. He dipped his head and lightly kissed the sweet mouth again, then began to lick a trail down over Snape’s chin and along his neck. He lapped and sucked at the tender skin, listening to each moan and cry as his teeth closed on the skin and worried it a bit at the juncture of neck and shoulder. 

 

Extending his tongue, Sirius ran it along a rather prominent collarbone. Severus’s hips were lifting off the bed a bit as his hands lifted to clutch at Sirius’s upper arms. He never would have imagined that such simple caresses would feel so good! Then that licking, lapping mouth reached one nipple, and he cried out deliriously. Sirius suckled at him like a baby, rubbing his tongue hard over the tiny point until Severus felt as though his brain was melting. Who could have known that a man’s nipples could be so sensitive? Sirius abandoned his saliva slick nipple at last, only to slide over and attend to the other one instead. He bit gently at the nub, rolling it in his teeth. 

 

“Uh!” Snape cried as he buried his fingers in Sirius’s hair rather desperately. He managed to pull it loose from the tail, and the dark mane fell around him and slightly tickled his skin as Sirius began to kiss his way down Severus’s body. 

 

Sirius ran his tongue in a moist line down the jumping muscles of Snape’s abdomen, following that dark treasure trail of hair. And speaking of treasure…he finally reached his lover’s groin, and rolled his grey eyes up to watch Snape’s red face even as he swirled his tongue over the pink juddering tip of the rigid cock between Severus’s legs. He saw his lover’s head go back at this sensation, even as Snape pushed his hips up to get more of it. Happy to oblige, Sirius opened his mouth and went down on that lovely cock that he adored the taste of. He bobbed his head expertly, even as one hand curled around the base and began to stroke the bottom half of the shaft. 

 

Snape’s heels scored the bedspread as he lurched upward to push more of himself into that warm, moist space wildly. “Ah, ah!” his cries were getting loud as Sirius went all out to pleasure him, and his fingers buried themselves into the fabric on either side of his body. 

 

Sirius released the erection in his mouth briefly to suck on one of his own fingers. Then he returned to his pleasant task, even as he slid his free hand in between Snape’s legs and began to make circles over the sensitive puckered skin of his lover’s anus. Severus was so busy with the feel of the mouth and hand on his cock, that he barely registered what Sirius’s other hand was doing, and all he really knew was that it was another wonderful sensation on top of the ones already taking place down at his groin. 

 

When the saliva slick finger pushed into him, Snape barely registered it at first. But then his eyes went wide, and he began to squirm to get away. Sirius halted the motion of his finger and lifted his head away from Snape’s groin. “What is it, Sev?” He asked in concern.

 

“I…” Severus stopped wriggling, panting desperately as he tried to voice his unease. “I’m not sure that I like that, Black,” he rasped. 

 

“Oh” Sirius understood what he was referring to right away. “Well, give it a chance, will you? If you can’t, we most definitely won’t be having sex tonight. No pressure, though. If you can’t, you can’t,” Sirius said soothingly. 

 

Snape stared at him. Of course…He’d known that gay sex entailed anal penetration, and since Sirius was the more experienced partner it made sense that he would be the one actually doing that…but he’d never had anyone penetrate him there before, not even with a finger, and it felt so queer…he gritted his teeth and lay back. "Get on with it,” he commanded, trying to relax his tense muscles. 

 

Sirius shook his head as he removed his finger and sat up. “I think you need something to help you grow accustomed to it, Sev,” he said. 

 

Before Snape could question this enigmatic statement, Sirius began to roll him over. He made a puzzled sound as he found himself lying on his stomach on the bedspread. He shivered a little as he felt lips trailing down his spine, and a tongue licking at each vertebra tenderly. Reaching Snape’s buttocks, Sirius smiled to himself. “I just know you’ll love this, Sev,” he said aloud.

 

Before Snape could say anything, he began to lick and bite down one firm buttock while his hand cupped and kneaded the other one. Severus was making small sounds of puzzled pleasure, which turned into a near shriek of shock as fingers parted the cheeks of his arse and a tongue laved over the most sensitive part of him in an intimate kiss. “Black, what are you doing?!” Snape wailed as he reared off the bed. 

 

Sirius didn’t answer. He lapped at the twitching ring like a dog, flicking his tongue over the puckered tissue until Snape turned into a writhing, wild creature under him. He relished each loud cry from Severus’s mouth. “Oh, no, stop! You mustn’t!!” Snape barely knew what he was saying any more, far gone in shock and pleasure combined. 

 

When a tongue sank into his body, he lost the breath to scream. Sirius was…was…this didn’t seem possible! He was lost in a haze of ecstasy, and he barely felt it when a finger joined the tongue fucking him. It moved in and out as Sirius returned to licking the puckered ring again, and Snape could only gasp for breath as he collapsed in a boneless heap on the bedspread. 

 

“Told you you’d like it,” Sirius said, his finger nearly turning circles inside of Snape’s body as he prepped the other man thoroughly. A near whimper was his only answer. 

 

Sirius slid away to retrieve the lube, squirting some on his fingers. Then he inserted the now slick digit back into Snape’s body, moving it in-and-out slowly as his free hand stroked Severus’s arse soothingly. Twisting the finger, Sirius heard a small cry from his lover. “Relax,” he crooned, “Doesn’t that feel good? Can you stand another?” he pushed a second finger in even as he asked, stroking over the tissue within Snape’s body with his fingertips before he scissored his fingers carefully.

 

It stung, but the feel of those fingers was also quite pleasant. Snape listened to Sirius’s voice as the other man spoke reassuring words to him, and found himself relaxing involuntarily. The sensation of being penetrated wasn’t quite so strange and sickening anymore; in point of fact, it did feel quite good. His hips began to lift a bit off the bed as he pushed back against those intruding digits. He gave forth soft, gasping cries as Sirius thrust a third finger into him and twisted them a bit once more. He felt a mouth kiss the nape of his neck and his shoulder blades, and Sirius’s words were half muffled against his skin. “You’re so tight. Sev. I can’t wait to get inside of you,” he crooned, and a spasm wracked Snape’s body. “Are you ready?” he went on, and somehow Severus found the energy to nod slightly.

 

He found himself being turned on his back once more. “I want to be able to see your face” Sirius told him as the other man moved away to grab a condom packet and the lube off the bedspread. He returned, sliding in between Snape’s legs which he spread wider to make room for himself. Sirius smiled down into the rather dazed black eyes as he pulled on a condom and slicked himself up with as much lube as possible. Then he lifted Snape’s legs and draped them over his thighs. “This will hurt a bit,” he told Severus, “But take deep breaths and relax. Trust me, it’ll be fine.” 

 

Snape nodded again to show that he'd understood as Sirius positioned himself at the entrance into his lover’s body. The tip of his condom-clad cock prodded the tight opening as Sirius gave a few careful forward pushes, then slowly breeched the ring. Snape made a small sound of pain, biting at his lip. The tall man stilled, his hands rubbing soothingly down Snape’s thighs as he waited for the discomfort of that first penetration to fade a bit. 

 

The burning sensation, along with a sickening feeling, both finally began to disappear. Seeing how Severus’s facial muscles relaxed, Sirius took that as a cue to thrust another inch of himself into the tight, hot space within Snape’s body. He struggled not to just surge in, because it felt so damn good that he could barely take it. His fingers closed hard enough in the flesh of his lover’s thighs that Snape would have faint bruises there later. But there was no way that he was going to hurt his precious Sev any more than he actually had to, so somehow Sirius forced himself to remain still. 

 

Severus panted heavily as he struggled to adjust to being filled like this. The thing inside of him felt so big, so thick, stretching him wide…for a moment he was frightened. But then that feeling passed as Sirius stayed still, and he grew used to having something so large inside of him. He moaned breathily as his lover pushed in again, his teeth clenching together at the indescribable combination of pain and pleasure. He felt hands sliding over his skin, then one of them took a hold of his limp cock and began to stroke it. 

 

This helped to take his mind off of what was happening a bit, as he became erect again under Sirius’s ministrations. Sirius finally slid home within him, seated to the hilt, and Severus felt no more discomfort than he had before. He had grown accustomed to the feel of the cock inside of him now. Sirius leaned over him, looking into the glazed black eyes, and husked: “Look at me, Sev. See only me,” just before he began to move his hips in slow, shallow thrusts. 

 

Snape gazed up into the concerned, caring grey eyes above him, moaning as the pain began to fade entirely. Each stroke felt better and better, and his hips began to lift in time with them. He could see how Sirius’s mouth was twisted in pleasure, the way that the tendons in his neck were sticking out a bit as he began to pick up the pace. Strong hands settled at Severus’s hips as Sirius began to push and pull a little to help move his lover, and Severus cried out as they positioned him so that the tip of that thick cock buried in him struck something when Sirius surged in once more. Pleasure sparked along his nerve endings, and his back arched wildly off the bed.

 

“Ohh, uhh!” he was making animal noises, but he didn’t care. 

 

Sev was so beautiful like this! Shimmering with sweat, bright red, his whole body lifting to meet Sirius’s every push…He knew he couldn’t hold out much longer, and he lunged into the writhing body under him even as he grabbed Severus’s erection once more. With his hand and his cock he stroked his lover as hard as he could, and a wail of ecstasy announced his triumph as Snape convulsed into climax under him. Sirius tightened his fingers to milk the last of the semen out of Severus’s body as he thrust a few times more and succumbed to the feel of internal muscles closing around him tightly. 

 

He shuddered as his head went back and he choked out Severus’s name in an agony of pleasure. The sound of panting breaths was the only one in the quiet bedroom for a few minutes. Snape was limp on the bed, barely able to move after the intensity of his orgasm. Sirius was slumped over him, still inside of his body, the grey eyes half lidded and content as he let his hands stroke over Severus’s sweat limned skin tenderly. No matter that he’d had his fair share of lovers – this had, by far, been the best sex he’d ever had. And why not? Being with the one you loved made it far more special than just simple shagging. No wonder they referred to this as ‘making love’.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius and Severus find the embezzlers. Unfortunately, the embezzlers find them, as well...

Snape walked into Hogwarts the next morning, moving rather slowly and carefully. It took all of his will power not to hobble bent over like an elderly man. But there was still a small smile on his face, and his dark eyes were mellow. Last night had been…well, there were no words. Sirius and he had had sex at least three times, and during the clean-up shower afterward, the other man had pushed him up against the tile wall and had gone down on him ferociously. Severus had been so worn out after that that he’d had to lean on Sirius as they went back into the bedroom, and as soon as the two of them had crawled into the bed together he’d promptly fallen asleep with his head resting on Sirius’s shoulder. His last memory was of his lover’s hand running through his hair tenderly, and Sirius’s voice saying softly: “Sleep well, my Sev.” And so he had. 

 

That had perhaps been the best night’s sleep that he’d ever gotten in his entire life. When he awoke in the morning, the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Sirius Black’s face beside his on the pillow. The other programmer had looked boyishly handsome in sleep, one arm thrown around Snape and the other one bent over his head. Severus hadn’t moved for a few minutes after he’d woken up, contenting himself with just watching his lover and listening to the sound of Sirius’s deep, slow breathing. He’d let his eyes trace over the bare skin he could see above the sheet, which Black had managed to push down to his waist. He'd marveled at the tattoos, and looked curiously at the ring in his lover’s nipple. Finally he’d reached out to touch it, moving the circular bit of metal a bit with his fingertips. 

 

A soft sound had made him aware that Sirius was awake. He'd looked up into darkening grey eyes as his lover had rumbled: “That feels really good, Sev. I must say, this is a particularly nice way to start the day.” 

 

Snape had pulled his hand back, feeling a bit embarrassed at having been caught fiddling with Sirius’s nipple ring. The other man had laughed at his expression, and the slight red stain on his cheeks. Then he’d rolled over in one of those lightning fast moves that always took Severus by surprise. He’d caged Snape under him, holding himself up on his forearms, and had smiled lazily down at his new lover. “Good morning,” he’d murmured, just before he’d kissed Snape thoroughly. And after that, it had turned into a very good morning indeed.

 

Now Snape made his way to his cubicle, groaning as he sat down gingerly in his chair. “Hey, Sev!” Malfoy’s snide voice called over his shoulder. “Bit late, aren’t you?” 

 

Severus spoke without turning around as he turned on his computer. “It always surprises me that you take such an interest in my schedule, Mr. Malfoy,” he said coolly. “Perhaps you should concentrate more on your own work, so that you won’t be replaced by a more talented chimpanzee.” 

 

“Ouch,” Lucius said from behind his back. “Feeling a bit grumpy today, aren’t we? Did you have a bad night?” 

 

“No,” Snape replied shortly. And that was the truth. He had definitely not had a bad night last night. A touch of his smile returned to his lips, but he didn’t turn around because he didn’t want Malfoy to see it. He’d only been at work for five minutes and he was already tired of Lucius Malfoy. Not that he hadn’t been tired of the man since the day he’d started working at Hogwarts, Inc…

 

“Hmm. Well, I’ll leave you to it. Wouldn’t want to interrupt genius burning,” Malfoy said as he walked away. 

 

Glad to have driven the irritating man off, Snape turned on his monitor and began to pull up his files. He heard someone come up behind him, and he stiffened as he thought that it was Malfoy again. But then a pair of hands descended on his shoulders and an already familiar (and much less irritating) voice spoke over his head. “Here I am, Sev. Did you miss me while I was gone?”

 

Snape turned in his chair to look up into a pair of laughing grey eyes. “How could I have? You only dropped me off twenty minutes ago,” he pointed out acerbically. 

 

Sirius made a face. “You’re no fun at all,” he complained, waving a hand at the carrier of coffee he’d set on the desk. “Just as you like it,” he remarked, flopping down in his own chair in a graceful sprawl. 

 

“Thank you,” Snape picked up his cup of coffee and sipping at it.

 

He nearly spit his mouthful of espresso out when he felt toes sliding under his trouser leg and rubbing over his bare skin sensually. He stared down at his own ankle, seeing that Sirius had toed off his boot and had dragged off his sock without Snape being aware of it. He was grinning at his lover as he continued to trace circles over the sensitive skin of Snape’s ankle, and he winked merrily. Severus sighed, although there were shivers of feeling running up his skin as those insouciant toes drifted higher and higher. “Stop it,” he hissed very softly. 

 

Sirius shook his head. “No,” he mouthed. Then he blew his lover a kiss, making Snape give him an exasperated look. 

 

“If you do not stop,” Severus told him very quietly, “We will not be having sex tonight.” 

 

Sirius’s smile disappeared, and he hurriedly removed his toes. Severus hid a triumphant grin as he turned back to his computer. Finally, he had a way to control some of Sirius Black’s more exasperating behaviors. Not to mention the fact that he thoroughly enjoyed that particular way. That was a definite bonus. 

 

 

The next week was one of the most pleasant of Severus Snape’s entire life. Sirius continued to take him out almost every evening on dates, despite the fact that they were sleeping together now. As the other programmer pointed out to Snape, they still didn’t know that much about one another. They went to the opera (which Sirius spent most of the time laughing at uproariously, much to Severus’s embarrassment), and to dinner and/or to the cinema. On the weekend, Sirius took Snape into the country to have a picnic by a pretty pond. Sirius threw bread to some ducks, lazily sprawled on the grass like a lounging panther. He wheedled his lover until Severus consented to snogging with him right there in the open, pointing out that there was no one around for miles. They heartily embarrassed a passing gamekeeper, much to Snape’s horror and Sirius’s amusement. 

 

And then there was the sex…wonderful, mind-blowing, and amazing sex. Sirius Black was a vigorous, randy, and very skilled lover, who obviously enjoyed trying to make Severus Snape scream with pleasure. He would spend half the night sometimes just exploring his lover’s body, using his lips and tongue and fingers to drive Snape crazy. 

 

 

Lily Potter laughed the first time she saw her friend’s face, a few days after he and Sirius had become lovers. “Looks like someone’s having a good time,” she’d said with a twinkle in her eyes, making him blush faintly. 

 

She’d patted his arm soothingly. “It’s wonderful, Sev. I’ve never seen you look so happy,” she’d added. He was. Very happy. He knew that he was head-over-heels in love with Sirius Black, and perhaps had been ever since the first time he’d met those grey eyes when the other man had walked into Hogwarts, Inc’s lobby to see their vice president Minerva McGonagall. 

 

The only cloud in his blue sky was that he had no real idea how Sirius felt about him in return. While he himself was starting to think about the future, he had no idea if Sirius Black considered him to be his ‘Mr. Right’, or perhaps just his ‘Mr. Right Now’. He hesitated to ask, not sure that he wanted to know. He was enjoying himself too much to want to rock the boat, not when the answer might hurt him a great deal. Because while he’d sunk into a depression over ‘losing’ Lily to James Potter, he suspected that if Sirius threw him over he’d be utterly devastated. 

 

The Tuesday after they became lovers, Snape and his lover were working late. It looked as though one of their tracking programs was finally doing its job – it had intercepted a request being sent to the accounting department that was identical to the other fraudulent ones. So they’d decided to stay late, and perhaps have some answers for Minerva McGonagall in the morning.   
\  
Sirius had gone off to fetch them some of the wretched excuse for coffee that lived in the break room, leaving Severus alone with his computer. He was just opening the document that their program had snagged, and was scrolling it up on the screen. He was not aware that someone had come up behind him and had seen what he was looking at. Nor did he hear the soft footsteps as this person hurried away from his cubicle at a near run. 

 

Snape frowned at his screen as he studied the request and prepared to trace it back to its computer of origin. Soon they’d know the identity of at least the programmer who had made up these false documents, and if he had partners he could be forced to give them up. He heard someone come to the door of his cubicle, and assumed that it was Sirius. “Black,” he said, standing up and starting to turn. “I believe that this is what we’ve been looking for…”

 

He trailed off when he saw the identities of the not one but the THREE people standing at the door of his cubicle. “You’re absolutely right, Mr. Snape,” one of these men said coldly. “That document is the bit of incriminating evidence that you and Mr. Black are looking for. It’s too bad for you that HE,” a nod toward one of his companions, “Saw what you were looking at and came to warn us.”

 

Snape felt his mouth go dry as he met the flat, hard stare of the vice president’s most able assistant, Tom Riddle. The pale blonde standing next to him looked apologetic. “Sorry about this, Sev,” Lucius Malfoy said. “But I’ve no wish to go to prison.” 

 

The third person in this unholy trio spoke up next. “Can we get on?” Peter Pettigrew said nervously. “Black will be back at any moment.” 

 

“You have a point,” Tom Riddle agreed. “Come with me, Mr. Snape, and we’ll go and round up your partner.” 

 

Snape found his voice. “I will do no such thing,” he said harshly. 

 

Riddle’s smile was wintry. “Oh, but I think you shall,” he said softly, and lifted his right hand. There was a gun in it, which he pointed at Severus. “You will come with us, willingly or not,” he remarked.

 

Snape stared at the gun as though it were a snake. “I say…” Peter Pettigrew protested faintly. “Is that wise?” 

 

“Wiser than letting these two report our complicity in the theft of over three million pounds to the police,” Riddle rasped. “Do grow a spine, Pettigrew. This is our future on the line. If we let the pair of them go, we will HAVE no future to speak of.” 

 

Malfoy began to look alarmed as well. “Riddle,” he began. 

 

“Shut up,” Tom Riddle snarled at the programmer. “Think of what life will be like for you in prison, Mr. Malfoy. You’ll be the belle of the ball there, I’m sure, a pretty thing like you. This is necessary, gentlemen. Now let’s get on with it,” he stepped back and waved the gun at Snape. “Get going, Mr. Snape,” he said again. “Or I swear I will kill you here and now.”

 

Severus stared at him, but seeing those icy eyes he believed what Riddle said. Discretion was the better part of valor in his view - and besides he might be able to act once the three of them had relaxed and believe that he was obeying them. So he walked out of his own cubicle and began to move down between the rows of cubicles toward the glass doors at the end, feeling his shoulder muscles tense as he thought of that gun being pointed at his back. One part of his brain couldn’t quite believe that this was happening – he was only a computer programmer, not a man of action or a super spy like James Bond. His life had been monotonous before, but he’d preferred it that way. Being held at gunpoint by a trio of embezzlers was far too much action for a person such as himself… 

 

 

They pushed through the doors, and began to walk along the corridor toward the break room. Snape wished he could call a warning to Sirius. His lover had a cell phone; he could call for the police. But he knew that Tom Riddle would not hesitate to shoot him if he did so. He could hear the other two trying to reason with the young assistant behind his back, but it was clear both that Riddle was in charge and unwilling to listen to his compatriots in crime. Then he saw the tall figure of his lover coming out of the break room ahead of him, and felt his heart sink into his stomach. He started to open his mouth, to call a warning to his lover anyway; but at the same time Tom Riddle spoke sharply from behind him. “Mr. Black! Stop right there!” 

 

Sirius turned to look at them, startled, and the assistant told him: “I am holding a weapon on Mr. Snape here, and I will not hesitate to shoot him if you don’t cooperate with us. Is that clear?” 

 

Sirius’s grey eyes flew to Severus’s black ones. Seeing the look in them, he then let his eyes dart to the men standing behind his lover. Understanding filled them. “Ahh,” he said. “I see. It seems we’ve found the embezzlers at last.” 

 

“That is correct,” Tom Riddle agreed coldly. “But since we’ve found you as well, I would suggest that you behave yourself. We are all going to walk out of here quietly. Let’s go.” 

 

Sirius moved to position himself near Snape. “Be strong, Sev,” he said very quietly to his lover. “It’ll be all right.”

 

Snape nodded tensely. “Shut up and get a move on,” Tom Riddle snapped. 

 

They all began to walk again, and Severus glanced at his lover’s profile. Sirius’s mouth was a slash. He worried that the other man was going to try something drastic. What if Sirius got killed? He knew that he couldn’t stand that. Sweat began to bead on his brow as they neared the lobby.

 

To his shock, Sirius abruptly came to a halt. The tall man turned fearlessly to face Tom Riddle and his group. “Look, Riddle,” Sirius said sharply, “If you think that I’m going to go tamely through those doors and to my death, you’ve another thing coming. You’ll just have to shoot me here and now in front of the cameras,” he nodded at the security cameras mounted on the walls.

 

“Black,” Snape said fearfully, but Sirius shook his head. 

 

“I shan’t be herded along like a tame sheep, Sev,” he said sharply to his lover. 

 

Tom Riddle made an angry sound. “If you desire to die here, Black, that can be arranged," he rasped, raising the gun. Sirius tensed, all of his muscles coiling… 

 

But Snape moved before he could, hurling his own lanky body in front of his lover’s in a desperate move. There was a loud bang, and to Sirius’s horror he saw a red bloom spring up on the front of Snape’s shirt. Rage and panic lanced through him as Severus staggered and fell to his knees. Before Riddle could recover from firing the first shot, Sirius flowed into a forward stance and snapped out his foot in a spinning kick that sent the gun flying. This was what he’d intended to do in the first place, and he followed up with a side kick to the head that laid Tom Riddle out cold. 

 

His two compatriots fled in a panic, but Sirius paid them no attention. He was already falling to his knees beside his lover. “Christ, Sev!” he cried, already pulling out his cell phone to call emergency services. “What the hell did you do that for? I swear, if you die on me I’ll hunt you down in the after life and kill you!” he was shouting as he fumbled at the buttons of Snape’s shirt to see how bad the wound was.

 

Severus was gasping, his black eyes shocked and wide. Being shot was a very strange experience, he thought distantly… He found himself staring at his lover’s face. There was fear clearly written there; and he could see tears shimmering in the grey eyes. He forced his mouth to work, whispering hoarsely: “Sirius.” 

 

Black froze, his eyes going wide. “Oh, shit” he said in despair, “You really are dying, aren’t you Sev? You’d never use my first name otherwise,” he cupped his lover’s face in his hands. “Please don’t die, Sev,” he nearly whimpered. “Please. I don’t think I can live without you.” 

 

Snape found himself with the wild urge to laugh. “That’s good to know,” he remarked, just before he fell into Sirius’s arms unconscious. 

 

 

He came back to himself an indeterminate time later. Forcing his eyes open, he saw a white ceiling overhead. He frowned at this, wondering rather distantly where he was. “Welcome back, sunshine,” a voice said, and he turned his head a little to see his lover’s face. Sirius was sitting in a chair beside his hospital bed, and was smiling widely. “You don’t know how happy I am to see you awake,” he remarked. “ I swear, I thought you were a goner there for a moment. Never scare me like that again.” 

 

Snape blinked, and then smiled weakly himself. “I’ll try not to, Black,” he said. Sirius laughed outright at his lover’s return to using his last name. 

 

“Good. Because as I said, I can’t do without you, Sev,” he got to his feet and leaned over the bed. His fingers curled under Severus’s chin as he looked deep into the dark eyes. “Severus Snape,” he said quietly but firmly, “I love you, you sullen bastard. Never do anything like that again, or I swear I’ll spank your arse until you can’t sit down,” and before a shocked Snape could recover from this admission, he leaned over and kissed his lover on the lips with everything he felt for the other man showing clearly through.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All done! I might consider doing a sequel, if enough of you ask for one. Interested? Let me know! -DL

Sirius finally lifted his head, seeing Snape staring at him with a rather wall-eyed expression on his face. “What is it, Sev?” he crooned, letting his fingers sketch along his lover’s jaw line tenderly. 

 

“Black,” the other programmer said rather hesitantly. “Do you…mean that?” 

 

“Mean what?” Sirius asked impishly, knowing very well what his lover was talking about but enjoying teasing Snape. He loved the way those dark eyes started snapping when his Sev started to get mad at him.

 

“About you loving me, of course,” Snape replied impatiently, scowling up at his tall lover with a severe look on his face. Sirius couldn’t help it – he burst out laughing. 

 

“I’m sorry, Sev”, he spluttered, waving his hands in front of himself helplessly, “But you’re just too cute when you glare at me like that!” 

 

Snape gave him a baffled stare mixed with indignation, clearly thinking that his lover had finally gone off the deep end altogether. Somehow Sirius pulled himself together. He sat down gingerly on the side of Snape’s hospital bed, reaching out to run his finger along Severus’s lower lip. “Of course I meant that,” he said simply. “I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it. I’ve never said that to anyone before this,” he went on soberly (or at least as soberly as he could manage, anyway). "And something tells me that I’ll never want to say it to anyone else but you, Sev. You stole my heart,” he added, “Even if you don’t want it,” he added with a twinkle in his grey eyes. 

 

Snape took in as deep a breath as was possible for a man who’d been shot. Sirius’s confession had staggered him, but at the same time it made him feel light hearted and almost giddy. “I love you too, Black,” he said abruptly, and his tone made Sirius’s lips twitch even as his heart leapt in his breast at those words coming out of Severus Snape’s mouth.

 

“Good,” he remarked aloud, cupping his lover’s jaw. “I’m glad to hear that, although I’ve suspected it since you started dating me. Something told me that a guy like you, who’d always liked women, wouldn’t even have gone out with a bloke like me unless you felt something for me. Let alone slept with me,” he added with a salacious wink. 

 

Snape sighed, even as he turned his face into Sirius’s hand. The man would never be serious about anything – which was just as well, since Snape himself was far too intense and serious about life. Somehow they’d meet in the middle. “What time is it?” Severus asked idly, wondering how long he’d been unconscious (and how badly he’d been hurt). “Ten o’clock in the morning,” Sirius replied promptly, making Snape gasp. 

 

He’d been out of it all night?! Seeing the expression in the black eyes, Sirius hastened to reassure his lover. “The bullet went into your side, and mostly damaged muscle. But it also nicked the top of one of your kidneys, so they had to do surgery on you to repair the bleed. You were in the recovery section after that, and then you’ve been sleeping the sleep of the heavily sedated. But your doctor assures me that you’ll make a full recovery – especially with all the tender loving care I mean to give you as soon as I get you home.” 

 

Snape looked puzzled. “What do you mean?” he asked.

 

Sirius grinned. “I’ve always wanted to play nursemaid,” he said huskily, his voice going low and growly with desire. “Shall I wear the little white dress and the cap and everything while I take your temperature, Sev?”

 

Snape gasped slightly. The images that Sirius’s words were making spring up in his head were not doing certain parts of his anatomy any favors. “You’re mad, Black,” he said, his own voice going down at least two registers. 

 

Sirius nodded. “I thought we’d already established that?” he remarked cheekily. “But I shall enjoy waiting on you hand and foot once we move into my flat.”

 

“YOUR flat?” Snape repeated. “Why yours?” 

 

“Because I’m hoping that you’ll like the place” Sirius replied promptly. “If you do, it’ll be easier for me to talk you into moving in with me permanently. I even have an office we can work out of,” he told Snape. Severus’s brows drew down. 

 

“WE?” he was becoming more confused, not less, a hazard of having a conversation with Sirius Black. 

 

Sirius nodded, rubbing at his own cheek with one finger. “Mmm. I’ve been thinking, Sev. We really work well together. We make an excellent team, in all things…” he added with a leer, “Because we complement each others’ strengths. You have to admit that that’s true,” he went on, and Snape did. “Well, I thought that you might like to become my partner,” Sirius went on. “What do you think, Sev? Would you like to be troubleshooter? I promise this kind of excitement is atypical. I’ve never had this kind of thing happen before, in point of fact. My job can even be boring sometimes. And besides, since you’ve already got your feet wet - or got thrown in the deep end of the pond, as it were – you know something of what my job entails. Do you think its something you’d like to do?” 

 

Snape stared up at him as he thought about Sirius’s proposal. While he definitely hadn’t enjoyed being shot, he HAD liked the chase. It had been exciting. And he really had enjoyed working with Sirius, as well – his lover was right, they complemented each others’ strengths, as well as balancing out each others’ weaknesses. Sirius tended to get impatient, while Snape was more methodical. Sirius had brilliant hunches, while Severus tended to be more logical and cool in his thinking. They would make a great team….

 

“I believe that I would enjoy being a troubleshooter, Black,” Snape conceded after some thought. 

 

Sirius looked like he was struggling not to whoop with glee, and his eyes gleamed with triumph. “Great. Although frankly, we’re both going to have a few months off after this. We won’t need to work for some time.” 

 

"Why?” Snape asked curiously.

 

Sirius grinned. “Because we caught the embezzlers, Sev. Mr. Riddle is in jail for attempted murder as well as embezzlement, and neither Malfoy or Pettigrew got very far before they were picked up by the police. I used Mr. Malfoy’s computer – and his confession about the bank codes – to put that three million pounds back where it belongs this morning, in Hogwarts’ coffers. So I’ll be receiving my fee, which was ten per cent of that money.” 

 

“Ten per cent?!” Snape exclaimed, and then groaned as his side throbbed. Sirius put a hand on his shoulder. 

 

“Don’t move Sev. And yes, ten per cent. My bank account was credited three hundred thousand pounds an hour ago. And yours…” an evil grin spread over his face, “Was also credited. Mz. McGonagall decided to award you part of the money as well, since you helped to catch the embezzlers…and took a bullet in the process. So as of today, you are a hundred and fifty thousand pounds richer.” 

 

Snape gaped at him, stunned. Sirius laughed at the way his lover’s mouth was opening and closing. “As you can see, Sev, we definitely won’t have to take another job for some time to come. We can even take a holiday if you like, once you’re feeling better.” 

 

Snape finally recovered some of his equilibrium, lying back against his pillows as he tried to take in the fact that he was now fairly well off. “This is all a little much for me,” he said weakly, making Sirius pat his shoulder gently. 

 

“I know it is, Sev. Why don’t you put making these decisions on hold for a bit? Rest, get well, and we can talk about all of this later.” He leaned over to carefully kiss Snape on the forehead. “That money isn’t going anywhere – and neither am I,” he added with a smile.

 

 

A few days later, Snape was discharged from hospital. Sirius had a taxi waiting outside, since he didn’t want to jar his lover too much while his side was mending. He carefully helped Severus into the taxi, and slid in after him. Sirius gave the driver his direction, and Snape frowned a little. “I haven’t said that I’m going to move in with you yet, Black,” he pointed out. 

 

`Sirius laughed. “Well, you can just live with me until you feel well enough to decide once and for all, Sev,” he replied. “You need some one to look after you until then. I told you I’d be happy to play nursemaid,” he went on, putting his hand on Snape’s knee and caressing it tenderly. 

 

Severus shook his head, but leaned back against the seat without protesting any more. He was tired already, and he knew that Sirius was right. He needed someone to look after him in the interim while he mended – and while Sirius was bound to drive him to distraction, at the same time he really liked being in Black’s company. He couldn’t say that about too many other people.

 

Seeing his capitulation, Sirius chuckled and patted the knee his hand was resting on. Smug bastard really enjoyed winning, Snape thought sourly. One of these days he was going to have to thoroughly trounce Sirius Black at something. Wipe that smirk right off the wanker’s face. 

 

 

Sirius got an exhausted Snape tucked up in his bed, silently enjoying having the other man there. Black silk sheets to match those gorgeous ebony eyes, he mused as he walked out into the hall and padded down it to the kitchen. He was definitely going to have to buy at least one set of those. He considered what to make for tea, thinking that sandwiches would be something quick and portable. Then he intended to wheedle the key to Snape’s flat away from his lover, for Sirius suspected that once his belongings were installed here Severus would relax and feel more at home. The more at home, the better, since he never intended that his lover should leave again. In fact… 

 

His eyes gleamed as he began to assemble the fixings for sandwiches on the counter. Sometime in future, he intended to propose to Severus Snape. Not now, of course; they’d barely known reach other a month. But once they’d cohabited together for a bit, and knew that they could stand to look at each other for long periods of time…oh, yes. Some of that three hundred thousand pounds would buy a very nice engagement ring. He might have to talk Snape into it (meaning he’d have to badger and annoy his lover until Severus said yes), but he intended to have his way where this matter was concerned. He thought that Lily Potter would be a good ally in this; for she’d want her friend to be happily settled and married to someone he loved, just as she was. He whistled a bit to himself as he worked, completely happy now that Severus Snape was in his bed, flat…and heart. What more could any one man ask for? As far as he was concerned, Sirius Black was the luckiest man in London, or perhaps even in all of England.

 

The End


End file.
